Knights of the Old Republic 2:Sith Lords Enclaves
by RoadDogStone
Summary: With Xander heading to Korriban and Dawn and the Exile heading to Dantooine, the Scoobies and Jedi Exile, start to trully understand what they are up against. Third in the story, see my profile for the first two.
1. Chapter 1

-1Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both). Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon. I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by Michael Weyer. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

**Korriban**

Lonna Vash, former Master of the JedI Council, stared through the bars of her prison at the various implements of death and torture that hung from the cracked walls.

The Sith Academy had been abandoned for years now, but obviously some Sith Lord had returned, repairing certain areas.

"Master" asked her Padawan from a table nearby, the cobalt blue skin now marred from several hours of torture.

"Yes Kaah" she smiled, turning towards him, glad that the young knight had not yet succumbed to the pain he must surely been experiencing.

"Do not worry about me Master, I know that this shall be my grave" he began to say, surprisingly without a hint of pain, the Twi'leks voice was strong.

Vash sighed "Oh Kaah" she wanted to tell the young jedI that everything would be alright, that they would both survive, she knew they wouldn't however.

"Vash" he said, catching her attention by using her first name "My life will soon be over, soon I will join the force, I hold no regrets, and neither should you".

"Do not speak of such things Kaah, we are not dead yet" she said, her voice nearly trembling from a multitude of emotions.

"Please, hear me now Master, before the Stims wear off" he smiled "They are going to kill me, to get to you, I suspect you already know this though, however, you must find a way to survive, you need to finish what you started, you need to find her" he said, his voice began to waver as he continued.

"Kaah, relax, the stims seem to be wearing off, you need to focus" Vash said, trying to hide the pain and anger in her own voice.

The twi'lek inhaled deeply, as the pain from his wounds once again began to flow through his body, his eyelids fluttered, "Promise me!".

Vash nodded slowly "I promise".

The eyes of Kaah Ohtok, her last Padawan slowly closed, she couldn't tell if he was unconscious or dead, she sighed, the anger within was nearly unbearable.

"_Hmm, how touching"_ said an unnatural voice, full of malice and hate.

Vash looked towards the door, spying a darkened figure, she could feel the power within the speaker, it was almost overwhelming.

"_I set this trap for the Exile and her apprentices, not you" _the speaker said, slowly moving into the light.

The sight of the thing standing before her was almost horrifying, the creature wasn't alive, it couldn't be, though once human the Dark Lord standing before her was a walking abomination.

"_No claims of righteousness?, No speeches of how you will prevail?" _ the monster asked.

Vash took a deep breath "The force guides us in everything, even we cannot see what lays ahead for us".

The monster smiled "_Oh how wrong you are Lonna Vash, I know exactly what the force has planned for you, a slow and agonizing death, followed by dismemberment and then your body will be used to decorate this ancient place, in preparation for the Exiles arrival"._

Vash remained silent, knowing that her words were useless.

"_Perhaps I should introduce myself, since we shall be spending a lot of time together" _he smiled, then turned to a small table, selecting an odd tapered device.

"_I am Darth Sion, and I shall be your salvation"_ he smiled as he turned and advanced towards her cage.

**Dantooine**

The Ebon Hawk touched down only a few hundred meters from a large building, since it was the only sign of civilization on the planet within walking distance of the ruined JedI Enclave, everyone saw really no other option.

Only three figures stepped down the ramp as it lowered, Shayla in the lead, followed by Dawn and Buffy Summers.

"Wow, fresh air" Buffy said in awe "This is really fresh, fresher than anything back on earth!".

Dawn giggled "Maybe that's because earth is covered in an industrial base that's slowly killing the planet, Dantooine has maybe a thousand people at the moment".

"Still, it's fresh, I like fresh, fresh is good" buffy rambled, mostly to see the smile on her sisters face.

A dark haired woman cautiously moved towards the group, hesitating at the sight of so many light sabers "You'll find little welcome here, Jedi. For your own good, I recommend you speak to administrator Adare, quickly finish your business in Khoonda, and go" she said coldly.

Dawn frowned "Could you please answer some questions first?".

The woman sighed with a nod "Be quick then".

"Who is Administrator Adare?" Dawn smiled, trying to ease the tension.

"She's the agricultural administrator of Dantooine. After the Sith attack, she kept us together, without her, the only thing you'd see around here are mercenaries" she answered.

Shayla nodded "Why are there so many mercenaries?".

"We had problems with Mandalorian mercenaries even before the Jedi civil war, the Jedi helped clear up most of the problem. But after the war, many soldiers from both sides of the war became mercenaries. And since we're so far from the core, some started gathering here" the woman said.

Dawn didn't like the sound of that "I'm guessing these mercenaries have been a slight problem?".

The woman nodded "Well, the difference between an out of work mercenary and a raider is a vibro-blades edge. The only thing we can prove they've done is intimidate a few farmers. They give them goods, money, or food, just to stay on their good side. The only one not afraid of them is the Administrator. There have also been a lot of disappearances recently. And not all of them can be blamed on kath hounds. But nobody can prove the mercenaries are responsible".

Buffy scowled "How many have disappeared?".

"A farmer here and there, or a family. We lost enough people during the war that keeping the kath hound and kinrath populations under control hasn't been possible. So there are a lot of animal attacks. Some deaths too. The disappearances might be coincidence. But a lot of the stubborn folk seem to be more accident prone" she explained.

Shayla nodded "I understand, just one more question, where is Khoonda, and what is it exactly?".

The woman sighed again, obviously tired of answering this same question all the time "Khoonda is the big building just outside the landing port. It used to be the estate of a man named Matale, but he and his family disappeared around the time of the bombardment. The administrator rebuilt it, and now this is our center of government".

Dawn, still smiling looked around "Things must have been pretty bad after the bombardment, you must have come along way in the last few years".

Something in the woman seemed to respond to Dawn's statement, or maybe just her caring presence, she nodded, letting an unfamiliar smile form at the edge of her lips "Yes, I know it doesn't look like much, but there aren't many settlers that live here. This building is the start of something new for us. We're very proud of it".

Shayla took Dawn's example and stepped forward "We should speak to your administrator, if there is anything we can do to help, please, do not hesitate to ask".

The woman seemed to think about her statement for a second before nodding "Thank you" she said quietly, then looked cautiously around the area "Perhaps you should conceal your Jedi weapons, many people around here won't be very receptive to Jedi, it would allow you to move around more freely".

Buffy could see the pain and suffering behind the womans eyes "Thanks, we'll do that".

"My name is Dillan, I'll be over by the main entrance if you need anything" she said before leaving.

Dawn nodded "Thanks Dillan, I'm Dawn, this is Buffy and Shayla".

The woman said nothing, just nodded at the introductions "Like I said, just be careful".

Buffy nodded and moved her light saber into the large belt pouch, Shayla and Dawn did the same "So, this place seems like they could use some help".

Kreia sighed "We have no time for heroics".

Buffy ignored her "I'm thinking a few of us could visit this administrator, the rest could go look for those derelict freighters and the rest could see about helping out around here, it definitely looks like they could use it".

Dawn stepped forward "How about Buffy and I take a stroll, see if we could find any old ships".

Shayla nodded "Take someone with you, I know your both capable, but it would make me feel better if I knew everyone was covered".

Buffy smiled "I'll go see if Willow would like to join us, maybe a walk on an undamaged planet would do her good, Telos really messed with her".

Shayla smiled "That sounds like an excellent idea, in fact, I think I will see if your friend Giles would like to join Kriea and I, Xander and Dawn have mentioned him before, from the stories I've heard, I find that I'm interested in getting to know the man".

She stopped talking as strange looks crossed both the Summers faces, sighing and shaking her head she turned to the ship "To quote Xander, sometimes I shouldn't say words".

Buffy turned to her sister with a big grin, Dawn just smiled and moved to follow Shayla, Buffy then shook her head "And the family grows".

**Korriban**

Xander cautiously stepped off the Interceptor ramp, instinctively shielding his eyes from the harsh glare from the sun above, everything within him was screaming at him to turn around and leave, to run from this place as fast as he could.

It felt worse than the last battle with the first, he now knew what Buffy and the others had likely felt when they actually entered the Hellmouth.

"Xander, are you okay?" asked the handmaiden from behind him.

He nodded "Yeah, I'm fine, it's just, this place".

Faith snorted from behind the Echani warrior "You could say that again Xan, this place is messing with me something nasty".

Jonathan nodded, his Mp-5 submachine gun gripped tightly to his chest "Just another planet with dusty ancient ruins" he smirked "I take it the old academy is up that path?" he pointed away from the ship beyond a group of pillars.

Xander nodded "That's my guess, these Sith really now how to build stuff to be concealed from the air".

"Of course, the big bad's probably didn't want to be easily found" Faith said, moving past the Handmaiden to stand by him.

Xander nodded, then looked around some more, easily spotting two excavated area's in the valley walls on either side of him "Those look like tombs".

The Handmaiden nodded "Yes, if I remember correctly, those are the tombs of the Ancient Sith Lords, Tulak Hord, Naga Sadow, Marka Ragnos, and Ajunta Pall".

Faith chuckled "Nice names, they even sound evil".

The Handmaiden nodded but showed no sign of amusement.

Xander took that moment to actually step from the ramp onto the planets surface, actually touching the ground seemed to intensify the darkness that seemed to thrive all around him, he shuddered involuntarily "We should get going, I've got a bad feeling about this" grabbing his communicator he glanced back at the Interceptor "Bao-Dur, were heading off, keep the ship warm, we might be elaving in a hurry".

_"Copy that"_ the Zabrak responded _"Don't take too long, I might start missing you guys"._

Everyone smiled at the Zabrak's humor, and headed off for the sloping path that led up into the hills, the group passed several pillars, several sand and sun stripped skeletons and even what appeared to be an archaeological dig, long abandoned.

Not far up the trail, the dark recesses of a cave could be seen, O'Niell held his hand to his mouth, "Whoa.. What's that smell?".

The Handmaiden frowned "That cave…it almost has a presence about it, Evil, almost hungry".

Faith moved up to Xander "Hey, Xand?, let's worry about the academy before we think about spelunking through rancid smelling caves okay?".

Xander nodded slowly, but stared at the darkened mouth for a few seconds before moving on "Yeah, the academy" he said quietly.

Within minutes of leaving the cave behind, the sight of the open academy doors loomed ahead of them, the interior seemed to radiate darkness and death.

"Hmm, not so warm and inviting" O'Neill smirked "But, with a couple of throw pillows, maybe a flower bed, it might not be so bad".

Xander couldn't help but smile at the kid "I was thinking maybe a paint job and some hedges".

Faith shook her head "Here we are, a life and death matter, with an entire galaxy at risk, and I'm stuck with two freaking comedians, figures".

As if the two had practiced, they both stuck there tongues out at her, Faith couldn't help but laugh.

Xander smiled and then turned to the Academy "Alright kiddies, let's go find us a missing Jedi Cordy".

Upon entering O'neill sighed, "Okay, scratch my last thought, we'd need a lot more than throw pillows".

Everyone agreed, the dark grey stone that made the floor, walls and ceiling almost seemed to close in around them, the feeling of being trapped filled Xander.

Faith growled "Sith architecture, leaves a lot to be desired".

Xander said nothing as he continued leading the group into the academy, only to be attacked by two shadowy figures that seemed to appear out of no where.

"Assassins!" Faith cried out as a third appeared in front of her.

Xander had already moved quickly to defend himself from the two that had focused on him, his Violet saber barely deflecting several strikes from the staff wielding assassins.

**Dantooine**

Dawn watched from the Ebon Hawk's ramp as Shayla headed towards the township of Khoonda, or more appropriately, the building called Khoonda, Giles walked beside her, the two obviously talking, Shannon trailed behind them, carrying one of Jon's Intar's, though Dawn was certain she had the two liberated Light sabers on her.

Buffy's voice caught her attention "Willow needs some meditation time, she won't be coming with us".

Dawn nodded "I'm not surprised, it's been a week now and I'm still getting a hang of all this, it must be nearly overwhelming for her".

"Hey!, what about the rest of us?" Buffy squeeled, but a slight smile betrayed her.

Dawn smirked "you know what I mean, she has to deal with the changes, and she has to mask her power, I'm betting it's not easy".

Buffy nodded "Well anyway, I convinced T3 to come with us, Faith left behind her translator thingy, so we should be able to understand him" she held up a data pad "And he knows his way around a ship".

Dawn caught the hint "Why not Atton?".

Buffy looked away for a second "He said he wanted to figure a few things out, I guess all this crap is taking it's toll on even the locals".

Dawn knew there was more to it, but she let it go "Oh, so where is the little guy anyway?".

Buffy turned around "He should be coming pretty quick" a few seconds later she sighed "I'll be right back" and headed back into the Ebon Hawk.

Dawn smiled as her sister disappeared, then turned to look around the landing area, she instantly spotted movement near a large pile of metallic junk, spare ship parts being her first guess.

Glancing back to the ramp she shrugged her shoulders and headed over to the pile of debris, spotting an older man poking through the parts as she neared "Uh, excuse me" she said.

The old man stopped "What?".

"I was hoping I could talk with you for a moment" she said.

"I don't have time for cursed salvagers!" he snapped and turned back to the pile.

Dawn rolled her eyes "I'm not a salvager, I'm just looking for information".

The man stopped and stared at her coldly "Well, you don't look like a damned mercenary, and you don't smell like a stinking farmer, why else would you be here?".

"I'm looking for a ship, we heard that some ships were abandoned during the attack a few years ago" she said honestly.

The old man eyed her warily, then looked around hesitantly before continuing "I might be able to help, if the price is right".

Dawn smiled slightly, "How much?".

"Depends on what your looking for exactly" he smiled, flashing rotting teeth.

Doing her best to not wince at the sight she inhaled deeply "Nothing fancy, just something with a decent hyperspace drive and room for at least ten".

"Weapons?" the old man asked.

"That would be nice" she responded, slightly amused that he would ask.

He nodded slowly "I think we can do business, the names Tarn".

"Dawn, so how exactly can you help me Tarn?" she smiled.

"I've got a few of those derelicts you spoke of squirreled away, I've been sellin'em to whoever can afford them, all I got left is a five man Onderonian Courier and a Corellian Class M light bulk freighter" he answered.

"From the sound of it, the freighter sounds like what I want" she smiled "However, I want to check it out, before we talk price".

Tarn nodded "Fair enough, but we'll need to do this elsewhere, like I said, I've got them squirreled away, I don't want those damn mercenaries to find them".

"Where should we meet, and when?" she asked.

"One hour, five klicks to the south, it's a narrow valley, you can't miss it" he explained "One hour, you don't show, deals off" he clarified.

"I'll be there" she nodded and then headed back to the ship, just as Buffy stepped down, along with T3-M4 and Caridad.

"Hey, I got us a lead" she smiled as she approached her sister.

Buffy didn't say anything "Really?".

"Yup, we got an hour before we can meet my contact" she smiled, knowing it sounded rather corny "And, were going to need your speeder to get there".

Buffy's eyes instantly lit up "Really?".

"Yes really" Dawn sighed, knowing she was going to regret letting her drive the damn thing.

**Korriban**

The assassin's had been defeated in only a few seconds, but the damage was done, as the echo of combat had simply alerted every cloaked Sith Assassin hiding within the ruined Academy to their presence, and with only one person equipped with a stealth unit, the chances of playing their own game of hide and seek was pointless.

That left only one option, moving quickly and as quietly as they could through the ruins, hoping to spot further attacks in time to react, while they searched for the missing Jedi Master Lonna Vash.

"Hey, Harris, that's nine for me, and here I thought you were some hot shot force knight" O'niell chuckled, trying to ease the tension that all of them were feeling.

Xander caught the joke easily "Just giving you guys the practice is all".

Faith ignored the two of them, as did the Handmaiden, though both for different reasons, Faith had taken point and was focusing everything she had in order to sense incoming assassins, and Handmaiden, well, so far she had yet to even smile, let alone laugh at a joke.

Faith slowly moved through a corridor sloping down, reaching the bottom the corridor split to the left and right, without thinking she chose left, a second later she cut down a Tukata beast without hesitating.

Both Xander and O'neill looked at each other as they followed, knowing that they'd need some downtime after this.

"Hey, this computer looks active" Faith said quietly from ahead.

Handmaiden hung back, as did O'neill, Xander did join her however, and watched as she touched the console a few times.

"Can you figure this out?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so, I've been working with T3 on rebuilding my droid, this shouldn't be as difficult" she said coldly "The system is damaged, all I can do is Bypass the login function and manually create and I.D".

Xander watched as she maneuvered through several screens, to him they all looked alien, he chuckled at his own joke, then stepped up a step as Faith sent him a glare "Sorry".

Faith stopped "Done, and now entering ID, and were in the Student automated training system".

"Automated?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, Due to the absence of a headmaster, we have switched to an automated training system until further notice" she read "Three options, Access learning material, Access Training Room and Take the level one test".

"Learning material" Xander said "Let's see what these Sith thought was worth knowing".

Faith tapped the console "Okay, that opened the library".

Xander smiled "Then we should head to the library".

Faith nodded "Good idea, we need to take the level one test before we can access the training room anyways".

Xander nodded "your getting pretty good with computers Faith".

"Thanks" she said quietly and moved passed him, taking point again, back tracking to the main room.

No assassins jumped out at them this time, much to everyone's relief, Faith spotted the library doors, "That's got to be the library".

"How ya figure?" O'Niell asked.

"Cause they weren't open the first time through here" Faith simply stated.

Stepping through the doors the groups spotted a strange Dias in the middle of the next room, Xander slipped ahead of them, stepping up on the dias in order to pass through to the next room.

Only for three more Assassins to appear and attack him, but he easily reacted, bringing his violet blade up to deflect two blows from the first two, then in a flurry of saber strikes cut all three of them down.

Faith finally smiled "Damn X, your getting good!".

Xander deactivated his saber, and took a second to compose himself "Yeah" and with that he stepped through the next room.

Moving to join him Faith spotted several more computers, only one appeared to be operational, she spotted Xander moving through the small room, his posture told her he was checking to see if any more cloaked assassins were lurking about, she then stepped up to the last remaining computer and touched the screen.

O'niell moved to join her "what's all that say?" he asked.

"It says the primary buffer is overloaded, the information is corrupted, I'm trying to repair the buffer….and…..bingo" she smiled "Okay, checking History of the Sith".

"Damn, deleted, let's try Holocrons…okay, the academy has a large collection, the basic ones are made available through here, let's try Flora and Fauna…deleted too, how about the Sith Code" she said finally.

"The Sith code?" O'neill asked "The Sith have a code?".

Faith shrugged "Apparently, okay, here it is, Peace is a lie. There is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength, through strength I gain power. Through power I gain victory, through victory my chains are broken".

O'niell shook his head "Not much to go on, I was expecting something evil and profound".

Faith shrugged her shoulders "Most evil wisdom I've come across is rather useless, I wasn't expecting anything different".

Xander moved to join the group "Hey, I've got an odd package and a data pad".

Faith took the Data pad "Says something about Thorium charges, and that if used in the ruins it might bring the whole place down".

"It does seem like a strong wind could bring this place down" O'niell added.

Xander moved behind him and without asking stuffed the charges into his knapsack, O'niell rolled his eyes "thanks boss, I'd be happy to carry the explosives" he said sarcastically.

Xander patted him on the back "Thanks for understanding" he smirked.

Faith smiled at the interplay "Okay, so I've got an idea, we should try the other corridor before making our way back to the computer, try to cover more ground".

Xander nodded "Sounds good to me" and without another word headed back to the first corridor.

Within a few minutes the group had reached the intersection, this time heading straight, only to find their way blocked with a large door made of cobalt blue stone, the workmanship was impressive however.

"Hey, you guys think there's anything behind here of value?" Xander asked.

Faith shrugged "Those salvagers sure thought so, I got a dead one over here, he's got a data pad, it says he thinks this might have been Revan's room before the Academy was destroyed".

Xander tried to find a switch "Locked up tight" he turned to O'niell "Think you can figure out how to use those charges?".

Jon looked at him for a second "Yeah, but if the roof comes down on us, it was your idea".

Xander smirked and stepped back, letting him through, all three watched as he applied several small charges to different area's before stepping back "Okay, I have no clue as to the strength of this stuff so I followed earth standards in relation to Sem-Tex".

Xander nodded "Okay, we stand back then, way back" he then turned and walked several meters down the corridor.

Once everyone was clear, O'niell kneeled down "Ready?, three, two, one".

The deafening roar of several explosions echoed through the corridor, followed by a heavy gust of wind and a cloud of thick blue smoke and dust.

"Whoa" Faith coughed as she waved at the cloud around her "Maybe you should have used less of that stuff".

O'niell grinned "At least the roof didn't come down".

Xander ignored them both and headed back to the door, only to find it had been nicely reduced to nothing more than particles in the air, beyond the doorway was a darkened room, a single bed could be seen..

Everyone joined him, Handmaiden stepping to his side "I see a holocron by the desk there".

Xander nodded and entered the room, surprised when a soft glow from the roof grew to illuminate the room "Automatic lights, nifty".

Handmaiden stepped up to the Holocron "Are you sure you wish to activate this?".

Xander nodded "We here to find a missing Jedi, but this is a Sith holocron, it might give us an idea of what were up against".

With a nod she touched the pyramid shaped device, a second later a tall woman appeared next to Xander, dressed in black robes, trimmed in crimson, her dark hair pulled back tight against her head.

_"It has been months since Revan's full memories returned, and unrest grows amongst the Sith. They're convinced Revan will not return, so they fight amongst themselves. The betrayals mount. And no matter who wins, the Sith will lose. There is no one left with the power to control the Forge, though many have tried. I watched them be devoured, their life drained from them as they attempted to tap into its power. Knowing what we do of the builders and their fate, I am convinced that Revan did not intend us to keep the Star Forge. To use it would mean the end of the Sith…and the end of the force. I have done as Revan instructed and remained here, but he has been gone for too long. I will wait no longer. Whoever survives this Sith civil war shall not be one I wish to follow. There is only Revan. Only he can shape this Galaxy as it is meant to be shaped. He lives still, this I know. If he will not return, then I shall find him and discover why. I cannot remain here, not knowing. I've become certain there is something he remembered in the unknown regions. It is a technique he learned fighting the Mandalorians. That, that allowed him to convert the last of the Jedi who fought beside him, and murder those who would not. And he fears it is out there…and silent for far too long". _

The holographic woman faded from view "Who was that?" Xander asked quietly.

Handmaiden stepped next to him "Bastila Shan, the Betrayer".

Faith and O'niell stopped their search of the two trunks in the room "The betrayer?" the Slayer asked.

"She was a young Jedi Padawan during the Civil war, and was on the strike team that captured Revan, which left Malak in complete control of the invading Sith, she was his closest confidante after Revan returned to the light, and was instrumental in helping Revan and their other companions seek out the secret of the Sith's immense power" she explained.

"Let me guess, this Star Forge" Xander said.

Handmaiden nodded "Yes, the Star Forge was built nearly twenty thousand years ago by an ancient race, it is believed they brought Hyperspace technology to many worlds, what I do know is that their empire was vast, and spanned most of the galaxy, enslaving millions of worlds".

"So what did this Star Forge do?" Faith asked.

"As I understand, the Star Forge tapped into the dark side of the force, granting all who had the power to resist it's corrupting nature to tap into an unimaginable amount of power, it was also a massive factory for Revan, and later Malak during the war, our own Interceptor was likely constructed by the Star Forge" she added.

"Wow, so why did this Bastila think Revan didn't intend for the Sith to keep using the Star Forge, that much power, it's not the normal evil thing to do" Xander said.

Handmaiden nodded "Much of Revan was not normal" she began "During the war with the Mandalorians, he was renowned as a tactician without equal, willing to sacrifice entire worlds in order to beat back the Mandalorians at a key battle, for this most Mandalorians would be honored to fight alongside him".

"What?. But I thought Revan defeated the Mandalorians" Faith exclaimed.

"Yes, that is why they would follow him, for he was the one who defeated them" she added.

Xander shook his head "Okay, he's a smart leader, the question is why would he not use such an obviously powerful tool?".

Handmaiden nodded "From what I read back with Atris, the Star Forge was believed to be the cause of the Ancient builders downfall".

"Do you know why this Revan just packed up for the unknown regions instead of rebuilding the Sith?" Faith asked.

"This holocron tells more than I knew before, as no one knew what happened to Revan after the defeat of Malak, it took nearly a year before the Republic could send a force here, by then the world was shattered and lifeless" she explained.

Xander looked to the Holocron "Revan remembered something from the unknown regions, something that he needed to deal with, and this Bastila left to find him a few months later".

"As fascinating as this is, aren't we here for a different reason?" O'niell asked.

Xander looked at him and slowly nodded "Yeah, your right, we should keep up the search".

Everyone watched him leave the room, Faith looked to Handmaiden and O'niell before they all slipped from the room to join him.

**I know the group on Dantooine didn't get all that far while Xander is pretty far through Korriban, at least in relation to the game. But this is how the fingers typed it out hehe. Next chapter, Dawn buys a ship, Shayla gets to know Giles, Willow has a few words with Kriea and Xander meets the best Sith Lord that was ever conceived IMHO.**


	2. Chapter 2

_I previously announced that my Kotor 2 Btvs x-over was on indefinite hiatus. This i am pleased to say is no longer true. I tried to rewrite it with the concept of using only character, but the lack of inspiration and the nagging guilt of leaving the first story unfinished frankly left a bad taste in my mouth. And then idea's for a sequel popped into my head._

_So i have begun again. and already the writers block has been thoroughly beaten down. The idea's are flowing once again. And i vow to not stop writing until this story is finished. _

_And now for the disclaimer._

Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both). Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon. I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by Michael Weyer. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

**Dantooine - Khoonda**

Giles stepped through the entrance of Khoonda's only building, and center of government, and silently noted how the interior was in far better repair than the exterior, and also seemed slightly more welcoming.

He instantly spotted a lone human male behind a large desk directly infront of him and his trailing companions, flanked by two doors, and to his left he spotted two young women locked in a very interesting and surprisingly loud conversation.

Both Shayla and Shannon stopped as they entered, hearing the conversation as easily as he could.

"Do you actually believe a Jedi would return here? After all they've done to us?...They wouldn't dare!" shreiked a tall woman in her late twenties.

Her companion nodded rapidly "They certainly would! You remember how they were, always so superior, so arrogant, and never lending a hand when we really needed them".

"I still don't believe it" the taller woman admonished.

"Well you should. My cousin's friend, he used to tend the gardens around the Enclave. He swears he spotted a Jedi in Khoonda. He could be hiding anywhere!" the shorter woman said.

"Well, i hope it's true then, we could certainly use the money".

The second woman smirked "Unless someone beats you to it".

Shayla stepped slightly closer to Giles "Perhaps we should conclude our business with the administrator quickly" she whispered.

Giles nodded "Yes, i believe your right".

Shannon stepped closer as well, her long dark brown hair pulled into an intricate braid "I'll meet you guys back here, i'm going to do some snooping".

Giles pushed his glasses up "Be carefull Shannon, and discrete".

The eighteen year old Slayer smiled demurly "I am always Discrete bossman" and sauntered back out the main doors.

Shayla wasted no time however and was already approching the main desk, the receptionist stood as she approached "Welcome to Khoonda" he said with an oddly familiar accent, nearly american to Giles ears "You're Salvagers right? You'll need to see Administrator Adare to get access to the ruins. If you need directions to anyting else just ask me" he smiled.

Shayla smiled as she took the lead "Can i ask where the administrator is?".

"Her office is directly behind this room, you can't really miss it. She can see you know if you'd like?" he responded, motioning to both doors "Both entrances lead into the building interior, this use to be a private estate before the Sith attacked".

Shayla bowed slightly "Thank you, that would be excellent", and with only a glance to Giles she turned to the door on the right and passed through, Giles quickly fell in step.

"I do hope we can get access to the ruins, from the sounds of it the local administration has some sort of security system in place to control the number of Salvagers" he said quietly.

"You and i both Rupert, however, even if she does not grant us access, i'm sure we can find a way in" Shayla smirked.

Giles smiled as they made eye contact, but said nothing as they entered the next room, a rather large room, two armed Militia men stood on either side of the door, their helmets obscuring most of they're faces, and directly in front of them sat a dark haired woman in her late thirties or early fourties, with an air of strength that was undeniable, Giles could instantly see why the locals had rallied behind this woman.

Shayla wasted no time however "Administrator Adare i presume?".

"Yes, I am Administrator Adare, Welcome to Khoonda" she said as she stood and moved from bheind her large desk "You wouldn't happen to be the owner of the...uhm..ship, that recently landed?".

Giles caught the odd look in the woman's eyes, but decided to let Shayla take the lead.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Shayla Kracek, and this is Rupert Giles" she smiled and extended her hand.

Adare nodded to the both of them and accepted both extended hands in turn "Depending upon your business here, the pleasure may be mutual, but you didn't answer my question".

'Oh she's good' Giles thought.

"Yes, we do own the ship" Shayla answered.

"The Ebon hawk if i'm not mistaken, it has been on Dantooine before, during the war" Adare continue as she turned back towards her desk "A Jedi vessel".

Giles nearly choked but managed to keep his face passive "We..we..would prefer it if that remained between us" he stammered slightly "Concidering the local views in regards to Jedi".

Adare nodded "An unfortunate truth yes. And a wise request. Which of course i will honor. Most settlers here hold bitter memories of the Sith occupation. Right or wrong our settlers blame the Jedi and their Enclave for their suffering. I however remember the old Jedi Masters and the conciderable help they lent to Dantooine".

Shayla relaxed slightly, as did Giles "I'm glad to hear that".

Adare leaned forward and seemed to size up Shayla, and then himself, her eyes twinkling in deep thought "I still maintain discreet...connections with the Jedi. I suppose your arrival here is no coincidence".

"The force seems to have guided us here for a reason" Shayla responded cripticly.

Adare however smiled, her shoulders relaxed slightly "Indeed, true coincidence occurs very rarely in the affairs of Jedi. But i should tell you, my...friend...Let's call him, Vrook. Well, we've known each other for many years. And our continued friendship could cause many problems in the current political climate. He came to dantooine not too long ago, seeking something very important. Unfortunately he has recently gone missing, did he send for you in case something went wrong?".

Shayla hestitated only a second "No, he did not send for us. But we would still like to meet with him".

Adare nodded, her face momentarily flashing sincere worry "I see. Vrook and i had a mutually beneficial arrangement for the last few weeks. He recently went to the Enclave's sub level in search of something, but he hasn't returned, that was nearly ten days ago. The sub level is extremely dangerous and i am begining to worry for his well being".

"Then i believe we can be of assistance, if you could grant us access to the sub level" Shayla stepped forward slightly.

Adare regarded shayla for a few seconds "Yes, of course. We are fortunate that you have come" she responded, her bearing changing instantly to the strong Administrator "Don't expect it to be easy however.".

Giles smiled "We never expect anything to be..easy".

Adare nodded "I will have my aide transmit access codes for you to the security access door. Expect trouble down their, you will most certainly find it".

**Salvagers Camp**

Riley Finn tried to ignore the incredible stench of unwashed bodies as he milled through the small encampment that served as both housing and main base for the salvagers all around him, young, old, human and alien.

It was easy to see that many had brought their families with them to this once lush planet, just to pick over the ruins that lay only a few kilometers away, he wasn't sure if the nausea he felt was the stench, or how quickly people were willing to feed on others demise.

_Hey, Finn, there's a guy at the north edge selling a Jedi Holocron for only a thousand credits, should i pick it up?_

He smirked as he tapped his ear piece "Carefull Miller, i wouldn't be surprised if it's fake".

_I'll see if i can talk him down a bit, that way it won't be a complete loss if it is._

"Remember what shay said, trade first before credits, we've got plenty of stuff these people might need" he responded as he stopped to examine a table covered in some kind of sausages.

An old woman with nearly no teeth moved from the shadows of the tent "Hur their boy..you want some Kath hound rolls?".

Riley blinked at the thought "Uh..no, thanks, i'm just browsing".

The old woman's face scrunched up in annoyance "Be gone then" she said with a wave of her hand.

He stumbled back a foot, more from her rotten breath than anything else, then tapped his ear piece again "Hey Cari, gimme a sit-rep".

A few seconds passed before he heard a responce, _I'm peachy Finn_. she whispered _Looking over the Merc camp now, gotta say, these guys live up to their image, i've got eyes on fifty, maybe sixty merc's, half are human, or human looking from up here, all armed to the fucking teeth._

Rley nodded, more to himself "Can you see any kind of central point, a main tent or something that a commander would use?".

_Yup, got a big ass tent near the back of the valley, lot's of guys coming in and out. Finn, if it looks like these guys are preparing for something, something big._

"Alright, get back here, we know where they are and that somethings brewing, let's not tip our hand, fifty merc's pissed cause we spied on them for no reason is not something i want to deal with" he whispered back.

_Copy that, meet ya back at the monolith in...fifteen minutes._

Riley didn't respond, instead he turned towards the north end of the camp and began weaving his way through the camp, hoping Miller hadn't given away the Ebon hawk for what ever it was that had caught his eyes.

**Mercenary Camp**

Caridad easily slipped through the rocky terrain as if it was flat ground, using the jagged rocks that jutted from the hillside to cover her decent, the last thing she wanted was to alert any sentries, in and out, that was what Riley ordered.

She had almost reached the nearly over grown path when an odd sound echoed to her right, she instantly stopped, hoping that she hadn't been spotted.

"May as well come out girly" said a rather rough voice.

She internaly cursed herself for not paying closer attention to her surroundings, and slowly moved from her cover, kicking her self even harder as she spotted six heavily armed Mercenaries, all geared up, with big ass rifles, all pointed at her.

"Hi" she said, the only thing she could think of.

A rather tall man, with jet black hair and a thin soul patch stepped forward "What's your business here girl?" he growled.

"Just taking a nice leisurly stroll, and you?" she asked, trying to seem as little of a threat as possible.

Another man, maybe in his mid twenties stepped forward "Wrong place to take a stroll" he leared "Bad things out here, and this far out, no one could hear you scream".

Tall dark, and Cari had to admit kind of handsome twitched slightly "Enough Nallek, there's better sport than this one".

Nallek sneered "Can it Dopak, you being Azkul's pet don't mean poodoo out here eh boys?" he crowed to the remaining four merc's.

Caridad subtley adjusted her stance, and almost smirked upon seeing the slight twitch in Dopak's face, he spotted what she was doing.

"No need for an argument Nallek, just pointing out that we can't afford to go pissing off everyone we come across" Dopak retorted.

The younger, and obviously not so bright Nallek chuckled "First, i think i'll have me some fun with this here little girl...then you and i, are going to have a little chat".

Cari smiled "Wow, you aren't that smart are you?" she nearly cackled "This guy could take you, even i can see that".

Nallek's head snapped back to her "Shut it girly, no one asked you".

Cari knew she had him "Oh no, big bad and rather ugly just told me to shut up..what am i ever going to do?" she mocked.

Dopak stepped back slightly, if she wasn't a trained Slayer she would never have noticed his subtle shift, Nallek however was now totally focused on her.

"Hmm, you've got quite the mouth on ya" Nallek smiled, which Cari found actually made him seem uglier "Boys, handle our esteemed leader".

Dopak didn't fight back as the four remaining mercenaries swivelled their rifles towards him, he moved his hands from his own rifle strapped to his shouler "Let's be calm here, might want to think this through" he said to his four comrades.

Nallek ignored him and slowly advanced on Caridad "Now, where were we" he said, trying to sound tough.

Cari held up one hand, "One more step Nallek and you'll be the laughing stock of every merc on this planet" she smiled, and channeled every ounce of her mentor Faith that she could.

To her credit, Nallek actually hesitated, "Right, like a tiny thing like you could do anything to me" he smirked, and stepped forward.

Cari didn't hesitate, in one smooth motion she pulled her only weapon and effectively ended the fight, stepping passed Nallek she leveled the double bladed crimson saber slightly to the side and smiled as Nallek fell over onto his face.

Dopak was smiling as well, the other four merc's however were completely stunned.

Nallek rolled over and scrambled to pull his pants up, but fell over again as he tried "Schutta!. I'm going to gut you!".

Cari ignored his outburst "Gentlemen, i believe that is your cue to run, and take this trash with you" she said as coldly as she could.

A second later all four mercenaries, along with a half carried Nallek were moving rather quickly back along the trail, the mix of shock and a little fear evident in their faces.

Turning off the lightsaber as she turned towards Dopak, she couldn't help but notice an interesting look etched upon his face "What?".

Dopak smiled slightly "You weren't kidding about making him the laughing stock of the camp, course not many will believe them about a slip of a girl cutting off his belt with a Sith saber".

Cari held back a snicker, "Spread the story then, you seem like a believable guy".

Dopak slowly moved to follow his friends "You should have killed him" he said seriously "Nallek won't let that go".

Cari said nothing as she watched him leave, and didn't move until the tall dark and dangerous mercenary finally dissappeared from sight.

"I know" she sighed, and slowly made her way towards the monolith to meet up with Riley and Miller.

**Kind of short concidering the previous chapters done oh so long ago. I thought easing back into the story was the best. Again i offer my appologies to any and all who gave their time to read my work, and were forced to wait for so long for me to continue. Which i hope to do on regular updates. I will also be going over any and all reviews i have received and do my best to respond, most likely within story updates.**

**Again, my apologies for the long wait, and my thanks to all for their time.**


	3. Chapter 3

Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both). Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon. I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by Michael Weyer. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

**Korriban - Sith Academy**

Xander Harris stared at the scene before him and nearly collapsed, the blood, everywhere he looked was blood, he couldn't even be sure that the face under all of that blood belonged to Coldelia Chase.

He felt like throwing up, he felt like screaming, but all he could do was stare down at the face of a woman he once loved, now a complete mockery of the beauty she once possessed.

A sudden pressure on his shoulder drew his attention, everything shifted in slow motion, his eyes slowly focused on another face, younger, Faith.

Her lips were moving, but he couldn't hear what she was saying, he tried to focus, willed his ears to work, and it did, at first it sounded like a dull recording, being played back very slowly, and then his brain kick started again.

"Xander!, are you with me?!" she said, or hollered "Xander!".

He nodded "Yeah!...yeah, i'm here, i'm good" he said, calming down a little.

"Shit Xan, i thought you broke on me" she sighed.

Another voice broke in from his right "She's alive, barely".

Looking he spotted Jon kneeling next to the cage, delicately checking for a pulse "We have to get her out of this cage and back to the ship fast" he said, the look of worry clearly visible in his eyes.

Xander nodded and pulled himself off the stone floor, igniting his violet saber he easily slashed through several bars, being careful to not hit anyone, then stepped forward "I'll grab her feet, faith grab her under the arms, we need to be carefull, we have no clue how badly she's been hurt".

Faith only nodded as she moved after him, a few seconds later they had her on the floor where they could check her over more easily.

Jon kneeled and quickly began checking for obvious wounds "There's no bruising, lots of burns and lacerations though...she's been tortured, badly".

"How can she be alive...all this blood?" Faith whispered.

Jon shook his head "Alot of it's already tried up...she's probably been allowed to heal between..." he stopped, not wanting to actually say it.

Xander turned to look around the room, to look at anything but the damage she had been forced to endure, and stopped, he stepped back into the cage, and when he stepped back everyone could see he was holding a bloody data-pad "Faith...can you?" he asked, holding it out hesitantly.

She nodded and stood up, taking the device she moved to a nearby table and wiped the screen, then turned it on "It's her diary, all entries were erased but one" she glanced to Xander before reading.

"I came to Korriban seeking a Sith, and though i found one, it was not what i expected. I am no fool, yet i fell neatly into his trap. The Sith Lord, Darth Sion is a perversion of the dark side, such as i have never seen before. Though he was cunning enough to capture me, luckily my Padawan Kah escaped, i have little hope he survived the harsh surface of this twisted world, but hope i shall cling too. Darth Sion at first seemed to be a brilliant Master of the Darkside, now however, i am convinced he is nothing but a brute, a powerfull and relentless brute, but a brute none the less. And it would not surprise me to learn that he is not a true Lord, but merely a pawn. His hatred and perverse rage would be a hindrance if he were to seek true power. Still, i am in a cage, he is not. If i keep my wits about me i may be able to escape this situation. In hindsight i am glad that i created a system account under my name. Hopefully the program i uploaded will be enough to unlock the main door back to the valley".

Handmaiden was already typing away on the only computer console in the room "There is no account under Lonna Vash".

"Cordelia Chase" Xander said "Try Cordelia Chase".

A few seconds later the white haired Echani nodded, and a second later a slight vibration could be felt through the floor.

Jon quickly moved to the door "Something tells me that we had better get moving, before every assassin in this place decides to block off that exit".

Xander nodded "Faith, your the strongest here" he said.

"I'll carry Queen C...you guys keep those fucks off our backs" she nodded, and stowed her weapons, then carefully picked up the fallen Jedi Master.

"Xander, Handmaiden...you guys should take lead, i'll bring up the rear" Jon suggested, swapping out his rifle's magazine for a fresh one.

Xander nodded "You ready H?".

The warrior woman nodded, and extended her force lance "Always".

Xander nodded and bolted down the hallway, his lightsaber ready for anything that might get in his way.

**Dantooine - Ebon Hawk**

Willow listened to the distant humming of Atton as he puttered around the engine room, no doubt keeping himself busy so he wouldn't think about a certain young brunette, the thought almost threw Willow's focus and she almost lost the serenity she had sought for so long.

Reaching even a light meditative state hadn't been easy, and nearly impossible during the space flight from Telos, she was pretty sure that the lack of a planetary body was the culprit, but now, even with the empathic scars that Dantooine possessed, she could feel a healthy world, healthier than earth even, and within that thought she understood the lazy euphoria that had seeped into her since they landed.

Within an hour of arriving she felt her internal reserves fully charged, she couldn't think of another way to describe it, she felt better now than she could ever remember, as if the health of the world was somehow healing her own pains, her own scars, it filled her with an odd happiness, tinged with more than a shred of guilt.

The thought burned slightly, she shouldn't feel such things, or at least she shouldnt allow such things to bother her, not now at least. So she turned her thoughts to the more immediate problem, of shielding her own magical signature, to keep the bad guys from finding them through her.

She allowed her mind to flow free within herself, she found it helped alot to let her own subconcious guide concious thought in finding solutions to nearly any problem.

Abruptly, it ended. Her concentration slipped away. Her eyes snapped open as a nearly physical sensation gripped her heart.

"Someones here".

Willow didn't hesitate, she was already on the move, pulling both Zat gun's from the holster hanging from her make shift bunk in the cargo hold and then ran for the corridor "Atton!, we've got company!" she bellowed as loud as she could as she passed through the central lounge.

She didn't stop however, and continued straight through to the opposite side of the ship, the feeling of pain and anger grew as she neared the only other sleeping berths on the Hawk.

Rounding the corner she crossed the threshhold and skidded to a stop, in the center of the room knelt a dark robed figure, facing the far wall, Willow could almost taste the pain that filled the room, rolling waves of anger and hate felt like cobwebs to her skin.

"Who are you" she asked quietly.

The figure slowly stood, and turned slightly, a woman, her face half concealed with a dark veil, revealing only the lower half of her face, she said nothing as she ignited a deep crimson light saber, and advanced.

**Dantooine - North of Khoonda**

Shannon slipped through the tall grass easily, as if she wasn't even there, her presence amongst the small herd of Kinrath went completely unnoticed, even now she wondered how she could get so close to them.

Still, she had to admit that it felt good, the Slayer inside her was nearly purring with this hunt, and a hunt it truly was.

She had luckily managed to get access to everything Gerron had on the Kinrath before she accepted his request to 'Help' with the infestation to the north, and studied everything before leaving on this little scouting mission.

She wasn't stupid, she had no intension of actually entering the Kinrath Caves, but a little reconaisance wouldn't hurt.

Rising slowly she managed to confirm her intial count, seven adult males and six adult females, she was glad she didn't see any markings that indicated the presence of a Kinrath Viper.

She moved forward slowly, making every effort to keep down wind as she skirted the edge of the herd, she wanted a clear view of the cave entrance before she headed back to the ship. It took only a few minutes to skirt the herd and make a short dash for a small rise that would give her a good view of the flatlands for at least a kilometer around.

Reaching the top she dropped her visor, shielding her eyes from the bright Dantooine sun and scanned the horizon, and smiled as she spotted what had to be the Kinrath cave, set within a crevase that would be easy to reach, assuming she had a way past the two dozen Kinrath milling about the entrance.

"Shit, wow the hell can we clear all those out" she whispered, but then another sight had her completely entranced.

"What the..." she said as she spotted a humanoid figure exit the cave and walk right passed several Kinrath, like he was one of them.

Shannon smiled "This is interesting" she said to herself as she jumped down, and easily vanished into the tall grass, intending to follow the mysterious individual.

**Dantooine - East of Khoonda**

Dawn watched the small speck of her sister speading away on her speeder, and looked down upon hearing a familiar beeping noise "She won't be gone long T3, she's just going to get Atton and the supplies you said we needed".

The small droid beeped and whistled, bringing a smile to her face.

Checking the translation pad she smiled "Are you sure we can have it up and running by nightfall?".

T3 seemed to straighten up, the beeping seemed more direct.

"Okay, i wasn't questioning your diagnostic of the ship, i was just clarifying" she smiled.

The small droid shrunk in height, Dawn got the impression that it was relaxing slightly, then beeped once and turned back towards the large Class M Freighter, or as she discovered was a converted Republic Navy Droid Carrier.

She studied the outside of the old ship for a few minutes, and found the overall design sort of appealing, even if it did need a serious over haul and paint job, the interior was sparce, but roomy, with more than enough room for her small group, infact she could probably take everyone and still have room to spare.

"Not bad for a hand full of credits and a few crates of medical supplies" she smiled.

"Your right, not bad indeed".

Dawn nearly jumped out of her skin, causing her to spin and draw both of her sabers instantly.

A short distance away stood a dark figure, male if the voice could be trusted, but that was where her observations ended, the robes were so heavy and thick she couldn't see any skin, no face, no arms, it was like he was wrapped in shadows.

"Peace" the figure said, chuckling lightly "I have no desire to clash swords, not yet at least".

Dawn relaxed only slightly, turning off her swords, but she didn't sheath them "Who are you?".

"For now, a friend" was the only responce as he slowly moved towards the ship, only to spin suddenly "Tell me, how much do you kow of the threat that hunts you?".

Dawn moved in pace with the dark man, making sure to keep a healthy distance "Hmm, you tell me oh dark and mysterious...and speaking of which, i'd look for another fashion consultant, cause the look you got now, not really doing it for me".

He chuckled again "No need for such antagonizing wit, i assure you i am no threat, not yet at least" he moved again, slowly circling "And you never answered my question".

Dawn forced a smile "Oh, i didn't, sorry, what was it again?".

"Please, let's stop playing games, if you answer my question, i may be persuaded to answer one of yours, a chance to gain much needed intelligence should never be arbitrarily ignored" he responded.

Dawn regarded him for a few seconds, and called upon the force to give her some edge or insight into the dark figure infront of her, but she couldn't sense anything, it was like he wasn't even there.

"Nice try, sloppy, but points for effort" he snickered.

"Fine" she snapped "What do you want to know exactly?".

"Your enemy, how much do you know of them".

Dawn sifted through her thoughts, her memories, trying to decide if anything she knew could be used against them, and she realized that she had no clue, not one.

"All i know is that the enemy is bent on destroying the Jedi order, completely" she finally said.

The figure turned abruptly back to the ship "This i already know, you expect me to believe that you know less than i?".

"Guess so" she snapped "I'm just the side-kick, i don't know much" she added with a little California ditz thrown in for effect.

"Then i shall enlighten you, if that is you ask the right question" the figure retorted, she could hear the smile in his voice.

Dawn hesitated only a second "Who is behind all of this?".

"That i don't know" he answered "Whoever is behind this is wrapped in shadows thicker than the ones i walk with, he or she is much more experienced in clouding the minds of others, perhaps even capable of altering memories".

"Why, why are they doing this?" she asked.

"Nah ah...my turn" he said, finally raising a leather clad arm to wave a single finger "Your connection to the Exile, it has given you the ability to use the force yes?".

Dawn remained silent, not sure of what to say.

"I thought as much".

"My turn, i ask again, why are they doing this?" she asked.

The dark figure drooped his head slightly, as if he was thinking "Truthfully, i have no clue, who knows what goes on in the minds of Sith Lords" he chuckled.

"Funny, your one to talk" she snapped.

"I'm flattered you would concider me to be one of such power, but i should clarify, i am merely an agent, a pawn, such as you are" he said with a bow.

At that moment Dawn's constant probing finally slipped through...something, a crack, and what she felt from the man before her nearly overwhelmed her, she stumbled slightly and gasped for breath.

And then, it was gone, like it was never there.

The figure leaned forward "Was it something i said?".

"What are you?" she hissed as she tried to catch her breath.

The figure hesitated, she could feel his gaze, "I am no different than you i'd imagine, just someone seeking answers".

Dawn was quickly getting frustrated "Why me?".

He stopped "Finally, a worthy question, perhaps you aren't a waste of time after all".

"Why come to me?, why not someone else?" she asked.

"Because the others would not stop to listen, they are deaf to that which flows around them, but you...you have a mind willing to listen, to watch, to learn" he said.

"Okay..i ask a question i get cryptic crap, i shouldn't be surprised" she said louder than she wanted.

"Be mindfull of old habits, of influences...you were doing so well before you channeled your sister" the figure interjected.

Dawn nearly forgot herself as she stepped foward "What do you know of my sister?" she growled.

"Oh my...such easily provoked anger, you just might be what i'm looking for" the figure almost cackled.

She stepped back, and with a few breaths easily pulled her emotions within, hazy instinct gleaned from her connection with Shayla helped.

"I'm impressed, you are truly a natural, the connection has given you basic instinct and knowledge" he said, almost as if he was talking to himself.

"Enough of this, tell me what you really want or leave" she said surprisingly with nearly no emotion.

"Ah, now we are getting somewhere" he said "But ask yourself, will everything you have gained from her be enough, will all the knowledge and ability that you didn't work for, that you haven't earned, allow you to save them?".

Those words nearly shattered her concentration, she could feel her heart beat increasing, her breathing growing more shallow "Shut up".

"Do you think you can face this threat, and actually make a difference?" he asked.

"Shut up!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Ask yourself" he repeated.

"No".

"Because you already know the answer, you already know that you are not worthy of the gift you have been given, you have taken without effort, without years of training or study...pathetic".

Dawn could feel the anger rising inside her, her vision narrowed, her breathing increased "Shut up, shut up!".

"Make me" he said coldly.

Dawn gave in, she gave in to the words that she knew were true, to the fear and the anger.

She leapt towards the dark figure, roaring, as she ignited her twin crimson blades.

**So far so good. My fingers just won't stop moving.**


	4. Chapter 4

Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both). Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon. I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by Michael Weyer. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

One last mention. My thanks to **Gatemaster** for agreeing to beta for this x-over.

**Korriban - Sith Academy**

Xander Harris glanced back for only a second as they neared the massive main room that lead back to the valley, just to make sure that Faith was keeping pace, he should have known better. Even with a wounded Jedi Master in her arms she moved with the typical grace she always exhibited.

Turning his attention back to the front he knew that something was waiting for them, how exactly he wasn't sure, but after everything he had experienced, back on earth, and especially in the lat two weeks, he wasn't going to ignore it.

"Why are we slowing down?" he heard O'Neill ask quietly from the rear.

"Sshh" Faith said, beating him to the punch.

The whole group moved ahead cautiously, everyone alert for a possible ambush.

Moving further into the large antechamber Xander couldn't help but shiver, something dark was lurking in the shadows, something evil.

"I've got a bad feeling about this" O'neill whispered.

_"Did you come here for answers?"_ Echoed an inhuman voice "_There are none. The call of Korriban is strong, but it is the call of the dead. It is fitting you came here. I have studied you, and found nothing but weakness. Yet she clutches at you, and the others, as if you are all that gives her life"._

A shadow image slowly moved from the shadows in front of them, revealing a massive pale blue monster, his skin, cracked and pitted, but his face, his face wore no emotion, no pain, even with the skin under his dead left eye gone, revealing dried muscle he showed no emotion.

Xander had no words, no witty comments, the malice in that voice sent shivers through his body, glancing to the others he found similar looks in their faces, even Faith was wide eyed and pale, the look of terror.

"_Hmm, you are a wretched thing"_ the creature rasped "_A thing of weakness and fear. You are her apprentices in name only. I am the Master. And that is why you will all die, beginning with you"_ he said, staring directly at Xander.

No one moved for several seconds, later he would wonder if it was fear, but at that moment all he could do was stare into the one living eye of a creature who should not be.

"FAITH GO!" Bellowed a voice, and the room lit up with the repetitive sound of machine gun fire.

**Dantooine**

Buffy idled the throttle down and felt the speeder slow as she neared the Khoonda space port, she giggled internaly at the thought, it really wasn't much more than a hastily constructed platform with steel and concrete walls, or was it called duracrete.

Nearing the only entrance she slowed down to nearly nothing and edged between the walls with only a few inches to spare on each side, thankfully no one was coming or going, it would have made things awkward to say the least.

Pulling up to the Ebon Hawk she extended the landing struts and flicked the engine off, the speeder dropped only an inch and jarred slightly upon impact, with only a moment to make sure she turned everything off, Buffy hopped down and headed up the ramp, only to pause as she neared the top, something was off, she could feel it.

"Willow?" she called out, hearing nothing after only two seconds she moved up the ramp fast, pulling one of her vibro swords as she moved.

An odd muffled sound reached her enhanced hearing, she bolted down the corridor towards the main lounge, then cut left towards the infirmary, and burst in on Willow and Atton standing over a woman clothed entirely in black and red, a long jagged gash stretched across her chest, from collarbone to sternum.

"Willow, hand me that long silver thing with the large black button!" Atton said as normaly as he could, the stress in his voice however betrayed him.

Buffy watched as he best friend shakily did as he requested, and turned just as Atton took the device from her hands.

She saw the look on Willows face, pale, worn and full of worry "Buffy.." she whispered, the next thing she knew Willow had nearly dived into her arms "I didn't mean to hurt her, not like that" she nearly bawled into her shoulder.

Buffy just held her, she didn't know what to say at first "Willow, willow, what happened?".

Her best friend, took a deep breath and pulled back, turning back towards the grizzly scene on the medical bed, she wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

"I..I was meditating, trying to think, think of a way to mask my mystical energy more effectively" she said slowly, through intakes of breath.

"I suddenly felt, a pre-presence, dark, full of pain, anger...so much anger" she choked.

Buffy had moved further into the room, both to see the patient, and to more closely monitor her best friend, the pain and anguish on her face was more than she had nearly ever seen before, it twisted her heart to see such anguish.

Willow took a deep breath, opening her eyes she continued "I fo..followed the feeling into your room and..and found her sitting there, she said nothing, she just attacked!".

Buffy stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around her best friend "It's okay, I'm here for you now", she soothed, feeling a total loss at what to say.

Willow sobbed for nearly a minute before regaining enough composure "She...spoke to me...after I ..stopped her" she said clearer "She called me Master..".

Willow's face scrunched up in confusion "Her life, her life for mine...that's what she said".

Buffy looked to Atton "Will she live?".

Atton looked up, an odd display of emotion played across his face "Quite likely, she's a Miraluka, the wound is already knitting itself back together, with the Bacta salve and bandages I'd say she'll be good as new within twenty four hours, fourty eight at the lastest".

Buffy gazed down at the woman on the bed "Why are her eyes covered?".

Atton glanced up "Her people are born blind, without eyes" he pulled back the red veil, sure enough she had no eyes, only unmarred skin covering two slight depressions that seemed like sockets.

Willow turned away, as Buffy shuddered at the sight.

Foot steps in the corridor behind them drew their attention, accompanied by the voices of both Giles and Shayla, Willow pulled herself away from Buffy and moved to the wall.

Buffy felt completely helpless at that moment, but forced it down, she stepped into the corridor "Guys, infirmary now".

The tone in her voice left no room for argument.

A moment later both stepped into the small room, the concern and confusion on their faces was very clear.

Giles spoke first upon seeing Willow's obvious distress "Willow?".

"I'm okay Giles, really" she said, sounding calmer already.

Shayla moved towards the bed "Miraluka, I've heard of them, though I've never encountered one before."

Atton nodded "Yeah, they're a pretty secretive people. I've heard some of their kind became Jedi, but Sith, Well, that's a new one".

"Sith?" Giles asked, confused.

Buffy moved closer to her mentor "She attacked Willow in my room, how she slipped onto the ship I don't know."

Willow moved from the wall slightly "Is...her kind rare?"

Atton shrugged non comitally "I heard they had a colony in the mid-rim, halfway between Onderon and Dantooine. Then...it wasn't there anymore. The whole planet was wiped out, nothing was left alive. No one knows why."

Willow stepped even closer to the woman "Maybe she knows".

"Well" Atton continued "It was a planet of her people. If they see through the force, who knows? I mean if they're all force sensitive, maybe she saw something through the force that we can't see, and they all left before it happened...or maybe it killed them".

Buffy stepped up beside Willow and took her hand "You said she'll live?".

"Yeah. She'll live, her wounds were pretty bad. She was already carrying her share of scars though." he nodded as he tapped the bio-bed console a few times.

Willow took a deep breath "I think she wanted me to kill her...free her from her pain".

Buffy squeezed her friends hand comfortingly "Will, are you sure?".

She nodded hesitantly "It's what I felt, not what she said, not before anyways...it was so vivid I mean...so much pain, more than one person should ever have to endure".

Shayla moved closer as well, "Perhaps, the loss of her people caused this pain, if she truly is force sensitive, she may have felt their deaths...it's, it's not an easy thing to feel, or live with."

Buffy looked into the blonde's eyes, and saw more depth, more loss, more pain than she had ever seen in anyone's eyes before, she doubted she'd ever see it again either.

Willow pulled herself free from Buffy's grasp "I...I need to meditate, my control is fading already" she looked to Atton briefly "Let me know when she wakes".

No one spoke for nearly a minute, Buffy finally broke the silence "Okay, this is unexpected".

Giles nodded "Yes, well. Good news is we have permission to enter the Enclave's sub-level's".

Shayla smiled slightly "Master Vrook apparently has some sort of relationship with our Administrator, unfortunately he recently went missing."

"Let me guess, while searching the Sub-level?" Buffy asked.

Giles nodded "Apparently so".

"Okay, so that's two things going for us, Dawn and T3 checked out the ship, she said to tell you it's an old Republic Navy Droid transport, modified to carry cargo and passengers, she gave me a list of stuff she wanted you to bring out" she added, looking to Atton briefly.

He nodded "Well, I'm pretty much done here, both with the ships maintenance and with our patient, I'll need to borrow your speeder though, I wouldn't be surprised if I have to overhaul half the ships systems."

She nodded as she pulled out the data-pad "Everything T3 says we need is on that".

He took the pad and began to browse through the list "Looks like stuff we already have in the cargo hold, I see no problems".

"Good" Shayla interjected "If you can get everything out to the transport and help T3 with repairs the rest of us can begin preparations for a search of the enclave."

Atton looked up "When you say me and T3…"

Shayla smirked "I think we'll need Dawn during the search, if she's up to it that is".

Atton glanced to Buffy briefly "I'll...just go and grab the stuff from the list...and then go out there…and check on the ship."

"Good idea Atton" Buffy winked, and moved aside to let him pass.

All three exchanged amused looks in silence as he left.

**Salvager Camp**

Miller weaved effortlessly though the throng of people that crowded themselves into the only shaded drinking area the camp offered, three tall metal mugs held precariously in his hands, he nearly lost one as he moved to avoid a short alien with insect like eyes and a pug nose but managed to keep his grip. And luckily reached his destination without spilling anything, sliding the mugs onto the rickety old table with a sigh of relief.

Caridad smiled with rapt anticipation upon seeing the foamy liquid "Awe Miller, you're a doll!" she nearly squealed.

"Your more than welcome Milady" he winked and moved to sit next to Riley.

Both soldiers watched Cari's face as she took a delicate sip of the beverage, mostly to see her reaction to the flavour, which apparently wasn't that bad considering she took a very large gulp immediately after the sip.

"Hmmm" she purred, her eyes closed in pure enjoyment.

"That good huh?" Riley asked and took a gulp of his own, and immediately understood why, the flavour was like nothing he had ever experienced before.

Miller nearly choked as he tried to speak while drinking "Whoa...that's better...well better than damn near anything!".

Both Cari and Riley nodded in agreement, and then Cari proceeded to dump her mug on the ground.

Both men stared at her in shock, "What the hell Cari?".

She just smiled demurely at them "Rule ten, if it tastes that good, it's either poison or a narcotic".

Miller narrowed his gaze "What rule?".

"My rule" she smiled "Dump it boys, we don't want to be inebriated or dead".

Both men looked to each other, looks of mock pain flashed across their faces "Sir yes sir" they both mumbled in unison and proceeded to dump their mugs in the tall grass.

Cari smirked at their obvious attempt at humour. "So, any word from the others?".

Riley nodded "Got a brief comm's from Shannon, she spied something north of Khoonda and said she wanted to scope it out, said she might be out of touch for a few hours."

Cari nodded "Don't worry too much Riley, Shan's the best at remaining unseen, and likely has more common sense than the three of us put together."

"Judging from our own experiences, and may I add the story you told me about those merc's...I'd have to agree." Miller said, a large smile plastered on his face.

Riley nodded "Yeah" he glanced around the tent before continuing "Can I ask you guys a question?"

Cari nodded "Sure, ask away".

Riley glanced to Miller, who just raised an eyebrow "Do you guys feel...kinda overwhelmed with all this?"

Miller looked to Cari "Huh…never really thought about it".

Cari sighed "Me, yeah, about every five minutes, but then I think about what Dawn and Xander have to deal with and I'm just glad I'm here to watch their backs."

Miller shrugged "I guess I'm still kinda caught up in the fact that we're in another Galaxy, with aliens and space ships."

"I forgot, Mr I-wanna-be-an-astronaut" Riley smirked.

"Still, I can see your point man, another Galaxy, being out of our element, facing strange new life, new civilizations, nasty people with mystical powers, and having next to no back-up, I guess now that I think about it, yeah, definitely overwhelming." Miller finished "Bastard, you had to go and ruin the moment."

Cari laughed "Miller, marry me." she said jokingly.

"Okay." he deadpanned.

Riley rolled his eyes "Shit, if you two start planning the wedding during combat, I'll shoot you both!".

"Wanna be my bridesmaid?" Cari asked.

Riley stopped "Only if I don't have to wear green...I hate green."

Both Cari and Miller looked to each other before bursting out in laughter, Riley chuckled along with them for a moment "Hey, guys calm down, it wasn't that funny!"

Miller tried to say something only the familiar chirp of their ear-pieces interrupted him.

Riley tapped his microphone "Finn, go-head".

_"Riley, it's Buffy, we're all clear to search the enclave, Shayla says there's a bridge not far from the sub-level entrance, we'll rendezvous there."_

"Copy that, oh, Buffy, Shannon is scouting something north of Khoonda, said she'd be out of comm's range for a few hours." he responded.

_"Understood. There have been a few developments here, but we'll update you when we meet up, any difficulties on your end we should be aware of?"_

"Cari had a run in with some merc's, but no one got hurt, I'll let her tell you about it" he smiled "We also picked up a few things from the salvagers, nothing really big I think, most of the stuff they were hawking is far too expensive."

_"Understood, we'll see you guys shortly."_

Riley moved to stand up "Okay, time we mosied on outta here."

Cari stared up at him oddly "Mosied...is that a real word?. Not very army sounding to me."

Riley adjusted his MP-5 and then pointed towards the edge of the camp "Move it." he smiled.

"Sir yes sir!" she saluted mockingly.

**Dantooine - East of Khoonda**

The first thing Dawn could register was the taste of dirt, then the pain in her head, and then the sound of a high pitched whistle and beeping, she rolled over and opened her eyes, the bright light hurt momentarily but it quickly passed as her eyes focused on the upside down image of T3-M4, the little droid was looking down at her.

"I'm okay T3." she said, or coughed, having inhaled a little too much dirt.

Her memories chose that moment to make themselves known, she was up and on the defensive a second later, she nearly fell over from a loss of balance, but she fought through it, "Fuck...where'd he go." she growled.

There was no sign of the dark robed Sith, not even the tell-tale sign of tracks in the soft dirt "Fuck." she growled again as he pressed her hands to her head.

She remembered everything now, the fight, however short it actually was, proved to her several things, first, she was no where near experienced enough to take on a Sith by herself.

Second, she nearly lost complete control of her emotions, she let him bait her and she should be dead.

"Your not dead...why?" she said to herself "Why didn't he kill me?"

She shook her head and checked her belt, surprised to find both of her Light Sabers still attached "He gave me back my weapons..."

_**Dawn launched herself at the dark robed figure again and again, each time he simply side stepped or parried her attacks with ease, an ease that only fueled her anger. **_

_**Suddenly he stopped, somehow avoiding her dual strike and struck her in the head with an open palm, sending her flying backwards into the dirt, he stepped forward and slowly knelt by her side.**_

_**"Take from this a lesson Dawn, you have been granted a great gift, look, listen and learn, strive to be better, and maybe, just maybe, you'll prove me wrong."**_

The memory faded, leaving a dull ache in her chest, she didn't have time to truly think about anything that transpired however as the sound of a speeder approaching caught her attention.

She turned in the direction of Khoonda, and immediately spotted the hazy splotch, rapidly approaching.

Dusting herself off she started moved back towards the ship "Pull yourself together girl, your alive, ass-hat obviously didn't want you dead." she said to herself "No sense pouting, just lock it up for later, focus on the now." she closed her eyes and mentally recalled the Jedi mantra, she wasn't a Jedi and if today was any indication she would make a piss poor Padawan, but it did help to push back the flurry of emotions she was currently experiencing.

'There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace'.

It was helping, slowly. But a small part of her couldn't help but doubt.

How the hell was she to explain this to the others.

**Dantooine Elsewhere**

Former Jedi Padawan Belaya Noor, paced excitedly in front of a small two person ship, her anxiety rising with every heart beat, she wasn't a creature of patience, she was a creature of action, and waiting around for others…

Only served to make her angry.

A distant electronic whine echoed from her belt, she paled knowing exactly what it was.

She pulled in all of her emotions, and hesitated only a second before activating the Holo-transmitter, and watched as a six foot tall hazy red hologram appear before her, she could clearly see the familiar lines of her master, standing completely still, as if waiting for her to speak first.

"My Lord, everything is as you saw." she finally said, bowing only a fraction.

_"The girl, has she been convinced?" _he asked, the voice sounding hollow and mechanical.

Another voice, rough and calloused spoke up from the shadows "Yes my lord, I believe she has been properly motivated".

Belay didn't bother to look, she knew who the intruder was.

_"Are you certain?"_

The new arrival moved to stand next to her "No, not entirely to be honest".

_"Your slipping."_

"Perhaps my lord, but as you indicated to me before, she is stubborn, I believe a more...personal touch may be required" he replied smoothly, without any hint of fear or intimidation.

_"Are you sure you can do this, without compromising our involvement?"_

The dark robed Sith hesitated only a second before responding, no doubt weighing his response carefully "Yes."

_"Then do so. Belaya can help, it may help to make it more convincing. But my orders still stand, none of them are to be seriously harmed."_

Belaya spoke abruptly, "My Lord, we need more information."

The brief flare of surprise from her companion, and the subtle shift in the holograms stance, told her just how close to death she might be for speaking out of turn, she knew full well the brutality her master could inflict.

_"Perhaps you are right. What is it you wish to know." _She could hear the restraint in her Masters voice.

"Why are the outsiders so important?" she asked.

_"They should not be here. Yet they are."_

_"_I don't understand." she said, much quieter this time.

_"Events I foresaw involved the Exile, and a few others. The current crisis, would have been handled, that possible future was an acceptable outcome of events."_

Her shadowy companion shifted slightly "I think I understand. The arrival of the outsiders, has changed this possible future, events are now clouded, you see a multitude of outcomes now, am I right...my lord?"

_"Yes."_

Belaya wanted to speak, but held her tongue, only for a moment though "My lord, do...you have any word from our sister?"

_"Belaya. your control seems to be slipping."_ The hologram said, sounding oddly amused. _"Yes, I have word from Korriban. She has located her target." _

"And the Betrayer?" she asked.

_"No. She has not made her presence known. I have no doubt that she will succeed."_

Her shadowed companion stepped back "With your leave my lord, we have much work to do."

_"Of course. Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Silly me. Fail me now, and I will not be very...happy."_

**Finally, next chapter the gang enters the Jedi Enclave. And on Korriban, things get down right nasty.**


	5. Chapter 5

Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both). Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon. I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by Michael Weyer. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

**Dantooine - East of Khoonda**

Atton Rand, smuggler, freebooter, and currently ships mechanic swore under his breath as he wrestled with a stubborn control diode "Stay with the ship Atton, fix the ship Atton, nope you can't go with us Atton, cause we're big bad light saber wielding pseudo-jedi, you will just get in the way, but we won't say it like that because a pseudo-jedi won't say such things to your face."

The console at that moment decided to bite him.

"Ahh!. Crap" he grunted as his hand slipped, banging hard against the same diode he was trying to remove.

Sliding out from under the console he pulled himself up and moved to the small travel pack resting on the pilots seat, pulling out a bottle of Taresian Ale, he took a small sip, then carefully placed it back in the bag.

Sitting in the captains chair he tried to relax "Definitely time for a break Rand, your too worked up to really focus anyways." he muttered "No reason why you should be though, I mean you're safe and secure in the cock-pit of a new...er ship." he shook his head.

"You're not risking your life in the ruined basement of a Jedi Enclave, where anything could be lurking, I mean Laigreks, who really wants to spend time hacking through Laigreks, or being hacked by Laigreks." he paused, a shudder slipped through a second later.

Standing abruptly he quickly moved towards the door, "Bah! Let's find some rodents to shoot, I need to calm down."

**Korriban**

Xander had no time to think, the abomination called Sion had attacked a fraction of a second after Jon had opened up with his weapon, he was barely aware of two figures moving towards the main entrance and Handmaiden doing her best to occupy the four Assassins that moved in from the rear.

Sion relentlessly pounded his lightsaber into his own, he barely had the reflexes to parry his rapid attacks, left, right, high, high, they just kept coming, and then an opening presented itself.

Several holes blossomed on the massive Sith Lords chest, pushing him back a few feet and staggering his relentless assault.

Xander wasted no time, moving on the offensive he slashed high twice and then in a smooth spin slashed across the Sith Lords chest with his Violet blade, the gash was deep and would have been instantly fatal to any mortal opponent.

Sion laughed.

He tried to push his attacks, only to find his blade deflected wide, throwing him off balance, he called on the force and leapt forward, rolling to a stop nearly twenty feet from the monstrous Sith, he was up and ready a second later.

At least now he could see what was happening around him.

O'Neill was picking his shots, covering the exit as several more Assassins rushed from the opposite corridor they had entered from, every time he pulled the trigger an Assassin fell, the assassin's however either didn't care, or were too stupid to realize that they were being slaughtered.

Handmaiden however had finished with the four Assassins and was already advancing on Sion. Xander kept his gaze from focusing on her, not wanting to give her attack away and moved back into the fray, he crossed the distance in two steps.

Violet and Crimson blades crossed several times, neither of them had the advantage.

It suddenly changed when Xander saw Sions fist slip through his defenses, the heavy impact on the side of his head flipped him around, everything went black for a second, his eyes cleared quickly enough, he knew somehow that he was stunned for only a second, he hadn't lost consciousness thankfully.

Amazingly he also managed to land on his feet, albeit only just, especially since he was again nearly twenty feet from Sion, who was now exchanging blows with the Echani Handmaiden, Saber against Staff.

He barely had time to rush in when he witnessed Handmaiden falter, the adrenaline coursing through his system slowed everything down to a snails crawl, the Demon deflected her overhead strike, easily spun to her side, slashed his saber across her stomach and then back handed her with enough force to send her flying nearly to the exit.

Xander felt the panic, and rage start to build, but he stamped it down as hard is he could, to lose control now would be the end them all. Without a moments hesitation he sprang for Sion, knowing the Demon would be prepared, but he knew he had to keep him occupied, if only for a few seconds.

"Jon! Grab her!" he grunted out only a second before his lightsaber clashed with Sions.

Xander knew he couldn't hold out for very long, but he didn't need much time, so he kept moving as he launched strike after strike, realizing that movement was now the key to keeping even an inch ahead of his opponent.

"Harris, let's go!" he heard from the entrance, he didn't need any more prodding.

Ducking a powerfull back handed slash he rolled forward and called upon the force to quicken his speed, and easily caught up with O'Neill just as he reached the entrance to the Valley.

A powerful voice echoed behind them in the darkness.

_"She protects him! Shields him! Find him. Hunt him where ever he travels. He will not escape me again! I will bring his corpse to her, cast it at her feet! I will kill all she protects, all she shields. Until her Hands Are Drenched In BLOOD!"_

**Dantooine - Jedi Enclave**

Buffy slowly approached the secured entrance to the Enclave sub-level with only a fraction of trepidation, would they find the wayward Jedi Vrook below, and more importantly, would he be alive.

Shayla moved up to the door and examined it thoroughly before making any moves to open it.

She glanced to the rest of the party, Riley and Miller had silently taken flanking positions, on either side of Shayla and herself, fire support she realized, silently thankful that both men had volunteered for this.

Caridad fingered her new favorite toy, the double lightsaber she acquired back on Telos, she did carry a wicked looking knife in a sheath strapped to her back, but that was all.

Leaving Dawn, her little sister.

She stood apart from the group, staring out over the once lush gardens of the Enclave, her arms crossed over her armored chest, her face a mask of deep thought.

She had been like that since returning from the Freighter, as if she was distracted with some deep inner turmoil. On second thought, it made sense. The girl had been through so much in the last two weeks, Buffy realized that she'd likely be distracted too.

She didn't look for the others, Giles and Willow had stayed behind to watch over the Miraluka who attacked Willow. And Kreia. Well, she had no idea what she was really doing. Another problem in her book, what was the old woman really contributing to the mission, she definitely wasn't doing any of the day to day work like the rest of them were. Why was she even there.

A question that Buffy just couldn't get past, and it bothered her to no end.

"I don't get why Shannon didn't join us" Cari said quietly "What was so important that she'd miss this?"

Buffy smiled at the younger Slayer "What ever it was, it must be important, I just wish she would check in with us."

Cari nodded "She ain't back by the time we reach the ship, I'm going out to find her."

Buffy nodded "We both will".

Their quiet conversation was cut short with the massive door sliding up into the ceiling, revealing a darkened tunnel that sloped downwards slightly, Buffy and Shayla tightened their grips on their weapons before they entered. And watched as Miller and Riley entered with weapons at the ready, both men hugged the walls and moved in unison.

She could hear Dawn and Cari behind her, both were fully alert, only a moron wouldn't be in a place like this.

The group slowly moved forwards, and slowed as the entered a massive room, which at one time must have been an impressive indoor garden, complete with stone worked fountains built up from the floor, and two massive planters, now over grown with weeds, and other plant life.

The roof shimmered lightly, glass, a massive sky light, now also over grown with weeds, vines and other fauna, it did serve to illuminate the room somewhat, which was a good thing as far as Buffy was concerned, the nightvision setting on her visor gave her a headache.

Riley motioned to the left, and made a few other hand gestures towards Miller, the taller of the two soldiers nodded and together they split up, each moving to circle the room, and to cover the barely visible branching corridors that she could see through the over grown vegitation.

"Wow." Cari said as she moved up to her "This must have been some place." she said quietly.

Shayla nodded "I used to study here, when I younger."

Buffy nudged the woman lightly "Maybe someday we can rebuild it." she smiled.

A sharp whistle from Millers direction cut off any response, Buffy looked to Dawn and motioned for her to back up Riley, her sister nodded silently and moving close to the wall quickly disappeared behind the fountain.

Buffy moved silently forward with Shayla, and upon reaching the corridor being covered by Miller, wished they had never been forced to this Galaxy in the first place.

Cari stood behind her, a soft coughing sounds escaped her throat. The scene before them was grotesque. A massacre had taken place, blood covered the floor, walls and even the ceiling, for nearly thrity feet. Body parts, mostly insect like lay scattered everywhere, but it was the scattered human remains that had the bile rising in her throat.

"This is not good." Miller growled softly.

Shayla moved passed him silently, and knelt before a severed head. Picking it up gently, she turned it around to stare into the face, revealing a young woman's soft features. Buffy couldn't help but think about how beautiful she must have been.

"No natural predator did this" she hissed "These cuts, their too precise, I would guess a Vibro blade."

Buffy nodded as she glanced to her own swords, she knew they could cut through damn near anything "I've seen Demon lairs that looked like this."

Shayla looked back awkwardly "No Demon did this I'm afraid."

No one had to say it. The evidence was clear.

**Korriban**

Faith reached the Interceptor and darted up the ramp without looking back, she knew her first priority was Cordelia, Xander and the others could handle themselves well enough "BD, we've got wounded!" she hollered as she reached the top.

The Zabrak was already waiting however "The med-bay is ready, I figured you guys might be needing it." he said calmly.

Faith gently lay the seriously wounded Jedi Master down "She's been tortured, badly." she said, then glanced back towards the ramp.

Bao'Dur gently grabbed her hand "Go, I can handle things here."

She nodded and headed back towards the ramp "Spidey! Let's go!"

She didn't even bother looking back, she could hear the tapping of her Droids metallic legs clicking on the deck of the ship behind her.

Touching soil she pulled her lightsaber, "Spidey, fire support only, do not engage hand to hand."

It didn't respond. She wished she had time to come up with a vocal processor.

Together they raced back towards the Academy, impressively the droid managed to keep pace.

It took only a few minutes to cover the distance, and already she could hear the stacato echoes of gun fire, Jon was still alive at least, she poured on the speed.

Reaching the rocky ledge that marked the Valley's gradual rise towards the Academy she spotted Jon slowly moving down the trail, supporting an unconscious and bloody Echani Handmaiden, his other hand firing his MP-5 with a surprising amount of control and accuracy at any Assassin that was clear of Xander.

And was that a sight to see. Xander, covered in dust, and no small amount of blood himself, dodging and weaving as he slowly backed up along the trail, his Violet blade singing as it slashed, swirled and cut through the oncoming wave of Assassin's. Everytime he moved a body fell. Like he was Dancing. She had never seen anything like it.

"Faith, I'm almost out!" O'Neill called.

"Move it!, Spidey and I will cover!" she hollered. And then darted past him, hoping she could reach Xander in time.

A second later heavy blaster fire began to Zip passed her, some shots missing her by mere inches, she silently thanked the Zabrak engineer for double checking the Droids targeting sensors.

That was the last thought she had before she dove into the wall of advancing Sith, her crimson double blade cutting through Force pike's like a warm knife, leaving them open to devastating Slayer strength punches and kick's.

She knew she should be attacking with deadly intent. To leave them alive was not generally a good thing. But she couldn't bring herself to do it, she couldn't alter the angle of her attacks. She couldn't take a life.

Her attention quickly narrowed, all thought except the instinct of fighting slowly seeped from her mind, this was her element, this was where she felt the most alive, fighting for life, to know that the next moment may be her last.

She never saw the black robed Sith slide around the corner. She did see the bolt of cobalt blue lightning that streaked out for her. And lost consciousness a second later.

**Dantooine - Ebon Hawk**

Kreia could feel the ebb and flow of time, the force allowed her only miniscule glimpses into several possible outcomes, but since the arrival of Dawn, Xander and Faith, every time she tried to see through the shadow veil, it grew thicker, requiring more effort.

And then the others arrived, and it had become nearly solid, nothing she did, no technique she had spent decades studying could penetrate the darkness between time, she could not see any flow now, and it was seriously testing her patience.

On the other hand, she now had more to work with. Dawn and Xander themselves were tied to her precious Exile, combined she could feel the power they could wield. In time, each would be the perfect tool for her plans. If Shayla held true to her ideals, she could use one of them in her stead.

The possibility that they too would resist had not escaped her however. Which meant she needed another plan, in case everything began to unravel. And as she knew it would, the perfect opportunity presented itself. Willow and her pet Sith.

_He_ had felt her power. It was the only explanation. She knew _His _ hunger was so utterly consuming that strategy and planning were nearly impossible, but to send his Pet after Willow, with the obvious intent of guiding her, of protecting her.

A level of careful planning she never knew _He _possessed. She would need to be extra careful now.

"Kreia?"

"Willow. Something you wish to speak with me about?" she asked, smiling as she slowly stood.

**Again my thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my fic. Especially those of you who have left Reviews, hint hint nudge nudge;).**

**And my thanks to Gatemaster for agreeing to beta for this story.**


	6. Chapter 6

Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both). Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon. I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by Michael Weyer. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

One last mention. My thanks to **Gatemaster** for agreeing to beta for this x-over.

**Dantooine - Jedi Enclave**

Everywhere she looked, all she could see was death. Blood from the Laigreks coated the walls and floors. As if who ever came through here was more interested in just killing than anything else. The thought chilled Dawn to the bone.

"So far just Laigreks," Shayla said quietly "No more salvagers."

Dawn didn't respond, no one did. She was only making an observation.

"Dawn. Stay close to me." she heard her sister whisper.

She smiled slightly "Don't worry, I won't let anything get you."

The levity brought a smirk to her sisters face.

So far they had slowly but thoroughly searched nearly half the sub-level. According the Shayla at least. As for useful items they had found. Well, a handful of lightsaber crystals and several crates of Jedi Robes wasn't really much as far as Dawn was concerned.

"The Auditorium is just up ahead." Shayla said quietly.

Buffy however stopped in mid stride "Do you hear that?" she asked.

Dawn stopped. And gently called upon the force, reaching out with her feelings, what she touched though, sent a chill up her spine, and filled her with a need to run, "Sith." she whispered.

Buffy was already moving "I hear fighting…"

Everyone fell in behind her as she quickly moved to the large Auditorium doors. Shayla touched the lock release as soon as she was near. It opened without hesitation, the metallic clunk as it retracted was nearly drowned out by the sounds of the fight happening within the room.

Dawn watched in awe as a woman with shock white hair crossed blades with a young blonde haired man in his mid twenties, wielding an emerald green lightsaber. His clothing, though similar to that worn by many of the locals, was burnt in several places.

Everyone surged into the room, spurred by the thought that they had found another Jedi.

Dawn carefully circled to the left, feeling Shayla moving to the right. She felt her sister hanging back, but moving behind her, she could feel Cari doing the same for Shayla. And knowing Miller and Finn, they would do what they knew best, find cover and wait for the perfect shot in case the Sith woman proved to be too much for them.

For a brief second the blonde haired Jedi made eye contact with her. In that second she could see that he wouldn't last much longer, he was exhausted. Touching the force she tried to convey a sense of peace. And then launched herself into the fight. Her twin short sabres leading the way.

**Korriban**

Jon twisted the ships controls wildly, hoping to avoid the incoming blaster fire "Come on!" he grunted as the ship shook violently. And noticed the rear deflector display flashing red "One more hit in the ass and we're gone!" he called out to Bao'Dur, the only other conscious member of the crew.

"Top turret is back on line," the Zabrak said, a little too calmly for his liking "The targeting sensors are still offline, even with manual I don't think I can get all four fighters!"

Jon grimaced as he tried to focus on the evasive manoeuvres his eyes momentarily scanning the system display, an idea flashed into his mind "Keep shooting, I'm going to try something."

Bao'Dur said nothing. He just turned back to the turret display, his fingers pulling the turret trigger as fast as he could, the muffled _Whump whump whump_ of the main cannon firing gave him only a small level of comfort.

"What ever you got planned, you better do it quick, I've got five more fighters inbound!" the Zabrak hissed as he spun the turret to the right, and in doing so spun his chair along with it.

Jon spotted the fighter zip passed, maybe only a kilometre out "Hold on, things are going to get bumpy!"

He was already adjusting the speed and pitch of the ship, a second later the planet they had barely escaped from filled the main view screen.

"I hope you really know how to fly this thing." Bao'Dur grunted as he focused on the fighters moving up rapidly.

"Relax. I've got it." he grunted.

Two seconds later the ship started to buck wildly, in every direction.

"The fighters are breaking off. They can't handle the entry angle," Bao'Dur said. finally turning to look at the view screen "But I'm not sure we can either…"

Jon couldn't help but smirk. Then punched the breaking flaps, the vibration of the metal flaps snapping up along the fuselage was enough to nearly send Jon into the console if he wasn't strapped in "Velocity is decreasing, we're still a bit steep, but I think we'll make it".

"Okay, so what's the plan once we land?" Bao'Dur asked, still strapped into the gun turret seat.

"Find a dark hole to hide in while you make repairs. I'm going to see if I can find Harris." Jon said coolly.

"You think he's alive?"

Jon chuckled "One thing I've noticed in the last few days, is that that guy is damn hard to kill."

"Good point."

Jon didn't say anything else. He only hoped the ship would hold together until they landed. Otherwise it wouldn't matter if Xander Harris still lived.

**Dantooine - Jedi Enclave**

Caridad couldn't believe the fight that raged only feet from her, but it was the look on Buffy's face that told her to wait, to not jump in. The Fear and Awe in the oldest living Slayers eyes told her she'd just get herself killed.

The blonde haired Jedi had stepped back, she could see the exhaustion as clear as day, he was having trouble standing actually, completely drenched in sweat.

The Sith woman seemed completely in her element however, she could tell that from the very unpleasant smile etched across her features as she was spinning, flipping, slashing and flipping some more.

Shayla and Dawn however were nearly emotionless as they moved, similarly to the Sith they battled, all three were moving so fast, the crimson glow cast from the blades were a complete blur. She couldn't follow any specific weapon. She could only stare in awe.

Abruptly the battle shifted. She didn't see anything obvious, she only knew something had changed. And not for the better.

Her heart raced in her chest, she could feel something, just beyond her visual perception. Somehow she knew she was about to face this woman.

And like the entire fight was choreographed, Dawn went flying. She didn't watch her flight. She couldn't. She dived right in. Her own double blade barely slipping in to block a strike aiming for Shayla's legs.

Only one thought repeated in her head. _Don't die. _

Buffy couldn't believe how fast everything was moving. The speed at which the three force users moved at was nearly supernatural. In some ways she guessed it was.

The slayer in her was screaming to join the fray. But she knew that it would only serve to get her or someone killed. She waited as patiently as she could. It wasn't easy, not with her little sister, her only living family up there, literally staring into death's eyes.

She watched the fight with every ounce of focus she had. She watched and couldn't help but count the times their enemy's sabre missed her sister, or Shayla by mere millimetres. She absently wondered if this was what she looked like when she and Faith were pushing themselves to their limits.

A small fraction of her awareness felt a sudden change in the fight. She could see something wrong in her sister's stance. She felt Caridad's subtle shift as well. but before she could act it was done. Dawn had been hit with something intangible and flew several feet away. She wanted to rush to her side, but she knew that she couldn't afford to, if she missed an opening someone might die.

Caridad took her place in the blink of an eye, impressively slipping into the fight like she was their all along, covering Shayla like they had trained for years together. She almost smiled in pride.

Two heartbeats later the fight shifted again. A deflected strike from Caridad slipped through Shayla's own defence, forcing the experienced warrior to slip out of the fight or risk being beheaded.

Buffy didn't hesitate. Her turn now.

Shayla felt her feet touch the cobbled floor of the auditorium, as she half cart-wheeled to avoid Caridad's deflected strike and was stunned to see Buffy already exchanging blows with the Sith.

She glanced to the far edge of the wide space, glad to see Dawn was already up, both sabers held loosely in her hands, a look of passive concentration on her face, she was just standing there, waiting to rejoin the battle.

Her eyes turned back to the fight, and witnessed the brutal fury of a Slayer released.

Buffy was the superior of the two. There was no questioning that. As Caridad seemed to rely more upon instinct as she moved. Buffy had something entirely different. Experience.

She could also see the differences between the way a Slayer fought and the training of a Jedi. Especially since the Sith they now faced was one of the fallen. Her experience easily spotted many of the basic stances and manoeuvres taught to all Younglings.

A Jedi was always fluid, never solid. All lightsaber forms used some measure of this lesson. A Jedi flows. In harmony with the force.

A Slayer, she could see now, was more like a force of nature. Unpredictable. Flowing one moment. Surging the next.

In Caridad she could see the instinctual knowledge more clearly. Unmarred from years of training and experience. A Jedi would find it very difficult to contend with her. Or any Slayer of her calibre for that matter.

Buffy on the other hand. With a Decade of experience and training. She could dominate most Jedi.

Or Sith. If the look of concentration and restrained rage on the Fallen Jedi's face was any indication.

The woman was good. Better than she had ever faced. In time the woman could have bested both Dawn and herself, though only because she had the same knowledge and training.

But faced with two opponents that fought so chaotically. With no form. She was now at a disadvantage.

For the third time in only one or two minutes, the fight abruptly changed. The Fallen Jedi barely avoided a tandem strike by both slayers, leaped back and corkscrewed through the air before she landed.

Both Shayla and Dawn were moving before she touched the ground. Her own lightsaber descending towards the woman's smiling face as she suddenly felt a tremor in the force.

A brilliant flash of cobalt blue light blinded her momentarily. And when her vision cleared she found herself staring up at the ceiling.

Dawn recovered surprisingly quickly from the Force Lightning. She had heard of that rather nasty technique, but having felt it was an entirely different experience. She never wanted too again.

Scanning the room she quickly spotted the enemy, standing by the entrance. Smiling. And before she could move a muscle the woman waved daintily before vanishing. No words. No taunting. Just a wave.

Buffy's voice drew her attention "Everyone alright?"

A chorus of answers responded. Thankfully everyone was fine. A bit shocked by the experience, but otherwise okay.

Shayla moved cautiously towards the young man who was facing the woman upon entering "Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded. Taking a deep breath as he pushed his blonde hair back "Yes, I am well. Thanks to you all." he said, exhaustion in his voice.

Shayla nodded "Are you a Jedi?"

He nodded "Mostly, I...never had the chance to pass the trials."

Dawn watched from the literal rear, and noticed that everyone had recovered well enough. They were now warily watching the door as Shayla spoke with the young Jedi. She had to admit, he was attractive. Even as battered as he was he seemed to possess a cheerful disposition.

"I am Mical. Jedi Padawan, Aspiring historian and scientist." he smiled.

"Shayla Kracek."

The look of recognition and surprise was very evident upon his face "The Exile…Truly?"

Caridad apparently didn't like that name "I swear, I hear anyone else refer to you as the _Exile_, I won't be responsible for my actions."

"My apologies...I, I meant no offence." he said, his eyes twinkled with sincerity.

Shayla smiled as she stepped close to him "No offence taken."

Buffy shook her head "Something bothering me here. If there's no Jedi Order, how can you be Exiled?"

Dawn rolled her eyes, only her sister would think of that.

Graham cleared his throat as he leaned against the only entrance to the doorway "Guys, I think we should DeeDee on outta here, I don't wanna run into that bitch again. Plus the ship is pretty much unguarded."

Shayla nodded "First, Mical. Did you happen to find any trace of any other Jedi before we arrived?"

He shook his head "I'm afraid not, though I did find this data-pad, I only glanced at it before I was ambushed, but I believe it is a reference to a Jedi, captured by a group of mercenaries operating here on Dantooine."

Dawn finally stepped forward "Let's finish this back at the ship, Miller's right, we shouldn't waste time, not with a Sith wandering around."

Everyone silently headed for the doorway. Even Mical. Though Buffy trailed behind slightly, the look on her face told Dawn everything.

"I'm okay." she said quietly.

"I know," she replied "I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you. That was some impressive stuff back there."

Dawn couldn't help but smile. She also couldn't think of anything to say.

Buffy draped her arm over Dawn's shoulder "C'mon skinny. Let's go before they leave us behind."

She leaned into the half embrace as they walked. And for the first time in days she finally felt that things might actually be okay.

**Korriban **

Jon stood in the med-bay and sighed in relief to see Faith waking up. She looked like hell, with more than a bit of her long brown hair burnt off, but at least she was awake and able to move.

"Fuck me!" she growled. "Why do I feel like I was dropped off a cliff?" she asked as she looked towards him.

"Probably because a cliff nearly fell on you." he smirked as he moved to sit next to her "I came back as soon as I dropped off the Handmaiden. You were already down, and there was no sign of Xander. The entire trail had collapsed, nearly crushed you."

The look of panic flashed into her eyes "Xan…"

"Relax," he said as he gently pushed her back against the bed "Bao'Dur recovered the visual recording from Spidey, it's a damn fine piece of machinery by the way."

She lightly jabbed him in the chest "The visual." she pressed.

"You got hit by some kind of lightning blast, and Xander from what I could tell, had already retreated to that cave we passed before. I don't know how, but I think someone set off some kind of explosive, it crushed most of the Assassins in the gully, and caved in the entrance to the cave." he rubbed his jaw lightly. "Pretty sure he's okay though."

Faith sighed in relief "Cordy?"

"She'll live, the damage was extreme, but she's a fighter." he nodded "I had her moved to one of the bunks."

"And Handmaiden?" she asked.

At that moment Jon wished he was the one unconscious.

"She...I'm sorry, she didn't make it."

Faith slumped back. A look of shock on her face "Fuck...I, I never even bothered to ask her name, I mean...she was one bad ass warrior chick, I didn't think…"

Jon grabbed her shoulder firmly, "Faith, don't. It'll only eat you up, we all knew that this is real, we all knew what we we're getting into."

"Shit" she hissed, relaxing a bit "Your right...mourn later, so what's the sitch?"

Jon stood up and moved to the door "Right now we're hiding in a big hole, Boa'Dur is doing what he can to repair the damage we took during our brief escape."

"How long does he think it'll take?" she asked, forcing herself up.

"No clue, his best guess is between two and six days." Jon chuckled.

"Good, we have time to find Xander." she said, moving to sit up.

Jon moved back to the bed "Nope, not yet. Best thing we can do is rest, get back our strength. I'd suggest that you grab a shower, and do something with that hair." he winked.

Faith looked up at him in confusion "My hair, what the hell is wrong with my hair?"

Jon only smiled as he turned and left.

"Hey, what the hell is wrong with my hair?"

Xander slowly pushed further through the winding tunnels, the dust kicked up from whatever exploded, and subsequently collapsed the cave entrance still clogged his throat, but it was easier to breath now. Hell, he was just thankful to be alive at all.

He had already checked himself over. He was bruised and shaken, but otherwise fine. No broken bones, no serious lacerations. For once, he wasn't in bad shape, which was definitely on the good side, especially since the caves were clogged with giant flying critters, a cross between a manta-ray and a bat.

He checked his watch, three hours had passed since the cave collapsed, hopefully everyone got away safely, and we're on their way to Onderon.

He didn't have any illusions of actually getting off this rock, but he also knew he wouldn't give up without trying. But his first concern was finding away out of these caves.

Holding his lightsaber before him to illuminate the way ahead, he realized that he couldn't see the cave walls, he must have entered a larger chamber. He also had to keep a close eye on his footing. Memories of raiding Demon nests back on earth had taught him very quickly that the floor could vanish instantly.

Sure enough, only a few feet in front of him he spotted a very thick patch of darkness, moving slowly he inched towards the edge, he couldn't tell if it was ten inches deep or a thousand feet deep, and he really wasn't prepared to find out.

"Okay Harris, left or right" he whispered, his hoarse voice still echoing through the chamber.

"Eeny meeny miny moe" he motioned "Heh, right it is".

Trudging off along the cliff, he never heard the sound of footfalls in the darkness behind him.

**Thanks for reading me droogies:D. Again. Review to your little hearts content, all observations and idea's are absolutely welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7

Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both). Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon. I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by Michael Weyer. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

One last mention. My thanks to **Gatemaster** for agreeing to beta for this x-over.

**Dantooine - Ebon Hawk**

Willow stepped lightly into Kreia's berth, her presence definitely set her on edge. Simply being around her gave the young woman a feeling of standing on the edge of a deep dark hole, and if she didn't watch where she walked she could fall for ever.

"Your instincts serve you well." the old woman said as she turned, milky white eyes barely visible beneath her cowl.

Willow cursed internally, and focused on her shields "Please. I came here for advise, not to be read" she responded.

Kreia bowed her head slightly "I meant no disrespect, and to be clear, I did not read you, not with the force at least, body language can reveal much of a persons emotional state".

Willow didn't believe it for a second "I accept your apology."

Kreia said nothing as she moved to the bunk and sat down slowly, "You have befriended the seer. The subject of the advice you seek."

"Her name is Visas-Mar...why do you call her the Seer?" she asked.

"Her species do not see as we do. They see the galaxy through the force...and it is how she found you. It is a rare gift, squandered on her people." she hesitated for a moment "The Sith carry the battle to the Exile, the little warrior and the master...to you as well, yet you spare them. And as we travel, the empty spaces of this ship are slowly filled. I hope your thoughts on this matter are clear. If you take her on as your servant...or apprentice. Know that the Sith meet their end at the hands of their apprentices."

"S-she is not my servant" Willow said quietly.

"Still. It is something I do not wish to happen to you. This one you have saved has other Masters...Though blind, she has ties to darkness. Her presence here is a threat to us...to you. Do not underestimate her, or her loyalty." Kreia said quietly, sounding almost concerned.

Willow didn't move as she mulled over the old woman's words "I think I can help her, she doesn't feel...Evil."

"To show mercy to a Sith, is to invite a blade to your throat. You walk a fools path Willow Rosenberg, and I will not aid you in helping her." Kreia said coldly.

"Her entire planet was wiped out...she has no home left, if I lost everything..." she didn't finish the thought.

Kreia nodded "Ahh. Without a home. Another Exile, Her people are not prone to violence, war, or hatred, yet their planet is obliterated. Scoured from the face of the galaxy, and all that remains is a Sith."

Willow looked into the shadows of the old woman's hood "A force sensitive world was obliterated."

Kreia smiled, her lips seemed unaccustomed to the act "You are wise to trust those instincts. Something is wrong...it is only a matter of discovering what, and why. If your instincts lead you to an answer, seek me out. Perhaps we will discuss more."

**Korriban - Shyrack Caves**

"Six hours, six god damn hours," Xander whispered "And all I find are deadly critters, darkness and a creepy-ass cave that wasn't here the first time I walked by."

An odd feeling snapped through his mind, like someone walking over his grave, only ten times more powerful, it was a familiar feeling, he had felt it twice before, both of which was when he met the Dark Lord Sion.

Xander snapped his lightsaber around, and instinctively adjusted his posture "Okay, enough games."

A dark shape seemed to detach itself from the surrounding darkness, and slowly glided towards him, giggling quietly.

Giggling?

"You are a hard man to kill Alexander Lavelle Harris" said a rather young, feminine voice "I shouldn't be surprised though should I, so much death and carnage, yet you always find a way...you have always found a way."

Xander didn't know how to respond, the fact that she knew his name intrigued him, but what truly bothered him was how she seemed truly know him, he couldn't put a finger on how he knew, he just did.

"Oh, did I give you a brain fart?" she asked, giggling again.

Now he was starting to feel completely out of his depth "How?...who are you?"

The small dark shadow glided to his right, forcing him to change his stance "Answers, now," he demanded "I've had a very, very bad day."

The tone in his voice seemed to have an affect on the tiny shadow, she stopped instantly.

"Hmm, indeed you have" she said, her voice sounding like ice "Such anger only leads to badness...and a bad Xander leads to all kinds of blood...and pain."

Xander watched, and reached with the force, gently probing her mind. What he felt was indescribable, he gasped, trying to find breath.

A girl. She was just a girl, no older than Dawn, but her mind was so dark, full of pain. Her thoughts were jumbled and chaotic. She had nearly no focus, and no defense against any force sensitive trying to read her.

He realized suddenly. Her mind was the perfect defense.

"Naughty, naughty" the child shadow tisked, igniting a pale blue lightsaber "You should know better than to enter someones house uninvited."

Xander could see hazy images, flitting around his own vision, sounds of screaming, a jumble of voices, all screaming. He couldn't focus, his balance shifted, he felt himself collapse onto his knee's. The voices began to increase in volume, so many, all of them in pain.

"This is why he sent me," a voice said, cutting through all the others. "He knew you would take a peak, you were always curious."

He blinked his good eye hard, trying to clear his sight, and looked up at the advancing shadow, now illuminated by her blade's soft blue glow, her faces seemed to absorb the light, her eyes seemed to glow with a deep green light. Two scarred Lekku, marking her as a Twi'lek trailed out from under her hood.

"How...do you...know me?" he hissed through clenched teeth.

She just smiled, and raised her blade to strike "You will never know. You can't ever know".

Xander blinked, only once. He knew the saber was descending, he grasped onto one thought and tapped into every ounce of willpower he could find inside himself, his eye opened and he saw a look of complete shock on her face.

A bright red lightsaber criss-crossing the Twi'leks pale blue.

His own Violet saber crossing both.

His brain latched onto that sight instantly. And felt the same shock the child Twi'lek did.

His eye followed the crimson blade and finally rested on a face he had seen only once, and not very long ago either.

"Hello Mission, did you miss me?" asked a rather amused Bastila Shan.

Xander looked between the two women. Bastila Shan, former Jedi Knight, companion of Revan.

The Betrayer.

Mission, the child Twi'lek gasped like a fish for a moment, then was gone. Having crossed a dozen feet in only a heart beat.

Staring down the woman, she growled, "What the fuck!"

Xander couldn't help himself as he stumbled back, hoping to put some distance between himself and both women "Sorry, but that's my line." he growled.

Bastila regarded him wearily. A very curious expression plastered across her face. But she quickly glanced back to Mission.

"I'm curious Mission, we left you for dead on Lehon. After Zaalbar cut you nearly in half." Bastila said, devoid of emotion.

Xander glanced between the two women, and noticed that the child was not happy, her barely suppressed emotions seemed to roll off her in waves.

"Nooooo," she said quietly, her eyes wide, nearly simmering in rage "Zaalbar had no choice...none of us ever had a choice. No choices were left for us...gone, gone and flew away at _his_ command!"

Xander watched Bastila's face, and barely noticed a look of dawning realization, her shoulders slumped slightly with an exhaled breath.

"Are you here for him or me Mission?"

The child smiled wide, revealing a set of gleaming metallic teeth "Questions, questions, questions...so many questions...but no one has the right answer" she said, giggling again, sounding more manic now "No one answers the darkness when it asks where the light went...no. I won't give you the answers I don't have."

Xander was starting to feel much better, the voices were subsiding, as if the brief connection with the child had been cut, or was fading, either way, he was no longer defenseless.

"Oh Mission...what happened to you?" he heard Bastila ask. Her voice soft, and sympathetic.

Mission began to pace back and forth, her gaze never once lingered from either Bastila or himself "Saved by Father...he made me, made us all...better."

Xander watched the interplay and knew it would end badly, he didn't need to the force to see it. Someone would likely die in the next few minutes.

He hoped it wouldn't be him.

"And you, my dear Betrayer. How have you been?" Mission asked abruptly "Tired?...you look tired. I guess running around the Galaxy would have that affect."

Bastila shifted slightly "What do you know of it?"

"Nothing, just whispers...that you lost something, dear to you." she swooned as she clutched her free hand to her chest.

A growl, deep and low echoed from Bastila's throat, her eyes narrowed in annoyance "He did this to you didn't he...and left me out there, knowing I was searching."

Mission started to giggle again "Ding! And Bastila gets it in one," she inhaled sharply "But, I was sent to kill, and kill I must. I wish we could do this again sometime."

Xander barely brought his blade up to deflect Missions sudden attack.

**Korriban - Elsewhere**

Faith couldn't stop brushing her very short hair back, it kept getting in her eyes and tickling her face "God damn Sith" she muttered as she left the small med-bay, intending to check on they're wayward Jedi Master.

She entered and abruptly stopped, finding the middle aged Cordy awake, and sitting up, a number of pillows arranged under her back and supporting her head, the shock however was the criss-cross myriad of cuts that marred her once gorgeous face.

"Not a pretty sight is it?" she asked, sounding very weak.

Faith didn't know how to respond, she looked away instead, and focused on a chair.

"It's alright Faith, I'm alive, that's all that matters, thanks to you." she smiled.

Sitting slowly she finally looked back to the seriously injured Jedi. "Just another day at the office."

A very strange silence filled the room, and neither woman seemed in a hurry to dispel it.

"This must be very confusing," Cordy asked, "Finding me here, in this galaxy."

Faith nodded "Kinda, yeah."

She sighed and looked at the back of her hands for a moment "I was reborn. I grew up and lived a completely different life here, I am Lonna Vash...it was only a few years ago that the memories of being Cordelia Chase began to surface."

"Do you know why?" Faith asked, "I mean didn't you like ascend to a higher plane of existence or something?"

"I did?" she asked "Hmm, that wasn't in the memories...or maybe visions."

Faith understood "Not getting the full story eh?"

Cordy. No, Lonna nodded, "When I have the visions, they're so vivid, so real. I can see everything with perfect clarity, and within I have all of my memories, I know the day, the important events. It's like I'm living it for the first time. But when I'm me again, most of the memory is gone, leaving only impressions mostly."

"So what should I call you then...Lonna or Cordy?".

"What ever you feel more comfortable calling me, Cordelia is as much a part of me as being Lonna," she smiled "Just don't expect fashion tips, several decades wearing nothing but robes has taken a toll."

Faith laughed "Thanks, I needed that."

Cordy only smiled "Faith, did Xander come with you?"

Both women locked eyes, several seconds passed before Faith spoke "We lost track of him...an explosion collapsed the valley entrance to the academy but we're pretty sure he made it to safety."

Cordy sighed in relief, "Good."

"So you not all that surprised to find us here are you?"

Cordy shook her head "I felt you arrive, and a few days ago I had another vision."

"You felt us arrive?"

"Yes...hello, Jedi Master here." she smiled, channeling Cordelia perfectly.

Faith chuckled "Sorry, I keep forgetting that...I keep having this urge to jump in front of Xander every time we run into trouble when he definitely doesn't need me getting in the way."

"Xander's gotten better has he?" Cordy asked.

"Oh you could say that, the Xan-man has some wicked mad skills now, the man is a whirling dervish with a lightsaber." Faith replied.

"Say that again?"

Faith looked up "Say what.."

"Xander...he knows how to use a lightsaber?" Cordy asked, obviously shocked "How can he know...it takes years to develop the skills to use one without hurting yourself."

"I…you said you had visions...I thought you knew." Faith said quietly.

"Faith, tell me."

The second oldest living Slayer was for once finding words difficult, "Uh...it's kinda complicated."

"Start at the beginning."

"You mean when we arrived?" Faith asked. And receiving a silent nod she took a deep breath "Okay…uhm, well I got shoved into a cage, with a very annoying but kinda hot space-jock, spent a few days locked up. And then Xan, Dawny and another chick, named Shayla busted us out, turns out the whole station was dead, a very deadly assassin droid had basically killed everyone, so this Shayla chick could get picked up by someone for some reason."

"Faith, you're losing me." Cordy interrupted.

She took a deep breath "Sorry, I'm not really good at the whole telling of stories".

"It's okay. Now you said you got busted out by Xander, Dawn and someone named Shayla. In my Vision you your arrival I saw a blonde, I assumed it was Buffy."

Faith shook her head "Naw, Buffy and the others came after us, we met up on Telos a few days ago, they're on Dantooine right now looking for some Vook guy."

"Vrook."

"Yeah." Faith smiled "The blonde is Shayla Kracek. You would remember her as the Exile."

Cordelia seemed to sink into the narrow bed at the mention of the name "I remember."

Faith could see the strain she was going through "Maybe I should go, you should rest."

"No. Tell me the rest." Cordy said, with a hint of strength.

Faith nodded "Alright...uh, well, it turns out that both Xan and Dawny got some kinda connection to Shay. She started to feel the force again, or something like that. And both Xander and Dawn started to get the mojo too."

"This can't be, Shayla lost her connection to the force. Though I've heard of people regaining a connection...what I felt in Shayla was unlike anything...she shouldn't have been able to regain anything." she stuttered, clearly stunned.

"Yeah. Well it's a good thing I gotta say, without those two we never would have survived Peragus," Faith said "And you'd still be in that cage."

Cordy nodded "True. So, Xander...how good is he?"

Faith smiled, and proceeded to describe just a few of the encounters they had weathered over the last few weeks.

The look on the recovering Jedi Master was nothing short of priceless.

**Dantooine - Ebon Hawk**

Giles stepped through the hatch leading to the common area, and silently moved to stand next to Buffy, she smiled lightly in acknowledgement but turned back to the crowded room.

Everyone was there, minus Shannon and Willow, the young Slayer was still off somewhere, investigating something she claimed was important, and had requested radio silence. And Willow was currently watching the blind Sith who was still unconscious in the infirmary.

Dawn was standing next to the storage hatch, quietly examining everyone as well, he recognized the look on her face, one of deep contemplation. Faith had been right about her. She truly was a gifted young woman, somehow overcoming the multitude of trials they had faced, a resilience he was pleased to see she possessed.

He was starting to see what the wild Slayer was trying to explain back on Telos.

Sitting together on one of the couches were both former initiative soldiers Riley Finn and Graham Miller, with Caridad sandwiched between them, all three seemed quiet and withdrawn. Shayla and Buffy had explained the events within the Enclave, and the thought of only one Dark Jedi being able to best them all...worse, toy with them with such ease. It was understandable to see the defeat on their faces.

He barely spotted Atton Rand slip into the room from the cock-pit, the man had originally struck him as a loud mouthed braggart, the last few days however he had heard him speak barely a word. Of course the way he seemed to avoid one young woman with a new found ability in the force explained everything he needed to know.

Giles would find time to talk with the man, or at least lend an ear.

The new arrival Mical. Jedi Apprentice and self styled scientist and historian leaned against a bulkhead opposite of Dawn. They had been introduced before Shayla called a meeting to work out a plan for rescuing Master Vrook, but that had been all.

The young man was smiling however. A pleasant smile that seemed to raise his spirits slightly. Of course he had just survived a very trying ordeal, and had found others with similar goals as his own. Giles would be smiling too if they're places were reversed.

Shayla entered the room finally, she had wanted to speak with her unofficial Master before they hammer out a rescue plan, everyone's attention quickly fell upon the platinum blonde warrior.

"My apologies," she said curtly "We have only been here a day, and already the Sith have found us. I have already talked with Dawn and she's ready to lead the expedition to Nar Shadaa."

Giles raised an eyebrow. Everyone glanced to the youngest Summers. She said nothing however.

"Before anyone objects I should point out a few things. First, if the Sith had wanted us dead, we would not be here discussing this. Second, I do not believe she was associated with the Dark Lord who is hunting us, in fact I believe we are now facing several different Sith factions. Each of which are tracking us for their own purposes." she continued.

Buffy raised her hand slightly "Sorry to interrupt. But we still have to rescue that Vrook guy, and we have no idea how many Mercenaries are holed up in those caves."

Shayla nodded "True, but my main concern is more Sith, of the other factions finding us. Dawn is in full agreement."

Giles noticed both sisters make eye-contact. Something transpired between the two of them with only a look. Buffy frowned "This doesn't feel right...i don't feel comfortable leaving them in the lurch like that".

Dawn took a deep breath before speaking "We've already attracted one Sith, we can't afford to attract any more...without me here, it might buy them enough time to rescue Vrook. I'm sorry Buffy, the decisions made...are you in or not?".

The tempurature in the room dropped a few degree's as both sisters regarded each other. Buffy looked into her sisters eyes and knew she didn't like it any more than she did.

"Yeah, i'm in, i already told you that. Doesn't mean i have to like it" she said firmly.

"Duly noted" Dawn said quitely.

"Forgive me," Mical said quietly, catching everyone's attention "From the little I overheard earlier, this expedition is to find another Jedi Master?"

Shayla nodded "Master Zez-Kai Ell actually."

Buffy cleared her throat "We have a list of missing but hopefully alive Jedi Masters, Vrook is here, Lonna Vash is on Korriban, Pez is on Nar Shadaa and Kaviar is on Onderon."

Everyone smirked at the trade mark butchering of names. Even Mical seemed to see that it was just Buffy's way, he nodded and looked back to Shayla.

Dawn however decided to take over "Atton, Giles told me the freighter is ready?"

Atton nodded, stepping forward slightly, "Yeah, the hyperdrive is an older model, but we should be able to reach Nar shadaa in two days, three at most. The fuel tanks are full and basic systems are fully operational. All we need is to transfer some supplies and we're good to go."

Buffy smiled "Cool, so Dawn, myself and who else?"

Atton held up his hand "I'm rated for freighters of that size, don't think anyone else is."

"Kay, Atton. Anyone else?" Buffy asked.

"I would like to volunteer" Mical piped up "If I understand correctly, the more force sensitives either group has, the easier it is for our enemies can locate us. Shayla and Kreia, as well as your friend, Willow I believe, are more than enough for one group I would think."

"There's also Visas." Willow added, stepping from the shadows. Still wearing her weapons. Giles would never get used to seeing her walking around with two alien guns strapped to her waist, he was certain of that.

Shayla smiled "How is she?"

Willow frowned "Still unconscious, but she'll recover, the wounds I...the wounds are already closing."

"I'm glad to hear that." Shayla said quietly.

Atton however snorted "Are you serious? That Miraluka is a Sith! Sent here to kill you, if I might add Willow."

"No. I don't think she came here to kill me," Willow added, "In fact, I'm pretty sure her Master sent her to guide me, for what or to where i really don't know" She left out the rest of her theory however, it wasn't anyone's business, not yet anyway.

Everyone looked around at this revelation. Dawn stepped forward, and wrapped an arm around the red-head, "If Willow believes she can be saved. Well, who are any of us to say no?"

The assembled Earthers all smirked awkwardly at the reference to their history, nearly everyone of them had experienced troubling times, and no doubt more than a few of the others as well.

"Thanks." Willow said quietly.

Buffy clapped her hands together as she stood up "Okay, then that's it then. The rest of you guys should stay with Shay, your down four bodies already".

"Buffy's right" Caridad piped up "What i saw this morning at the merc camp didn't leave me with warm feelings, nearly fifty merc's or more and some pretty heavy firepower".

Buffy nodded to the younger Slayer, a silent thanks for stopping anyone from volunteering.

Shayla nodded "Then it's settled, Dawn will lead a small team to Nar Shadaa, I wish you all the best of luck, may the force be with you."

**Next chapter, the rescue of Vrook. Xander gets some answers, and even more questions. And another emotional goodbye.**


	8. Chapter 8

Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon.

I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by **Michael Weyer**. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

**Dantooine…**

Atton double checked the freighters nav-comp and then spun his chair to check the pre-flight systems. Just because he was sure the old ship would fly it never hurt to be thorough.

Besides, keeping busy kept his mind from wandering towards a young and beautiful young woman, who had all but captured his heart.

"Bah" he hissed, and turned back to the pre-flight systems "Focus Rand".

An odd feeling tingled in the back of his mind, he turned slightly and almost jumped out of his skin at seeing someone standing in the hatch. Even obscured by shadows he knew who it was.

"Come to lend a hand Mical?" he asked, trying to hide the annoyance he felt.

The blonde Jedi smiled as he moved further into the room "That was my intention yes" he said.

Atton watched him move to the main Navigation console, evaluating the young man while his back was turned, he didn't't know why, but the man bugged him.

"Navigation protocols haven't been updated in five years" Mical said.

"Once we leave orbit we'll link with one of the older Nav-beacons" he responded smoothly.

Mical nodded, not once looking away from the Nav-console "Something bothering you Atton?".

He cursed himself mentally and turned back to the flight systems "What makes you think that?"

The young Jedi chuckled "You've been watching me, with a rather unpleasant look on your face ever since I arrived with the Ex..Shayla, and the others".

Another mental shake, "Something about you I should be bothered about?" he quickly recovered.

"Nothing comes to mind my friend" Mical said quietly.

Atton's fingers hesitated "Let's get something clear, we're not friends".

"I stand corrected".

Atton reeled in the wise-ass comment about to erupt from his mouth and focused on the display in front of him. The last thing he needed was a ticked off JedI.

But he would watch this one, his gut said something wasn't right with the Jedi, and he learned along time ago that his gut was rarely wrong.

**Ebon Hawk…**

Shannon hefted the large cloth sack higher on her shoulder as she trudged the final few feet up the old ships ramp, it wasn't heavy, just very slick.

Not surprising really, considering what she had packed into it.

Reaching the main access corridor she heard voices to her right. The ships common area. She turned and headed towards them, her thinking being the sooner she could offload her package the sooner she could crawl into a nice shower, a nice hot and long shower.

She stepped into the large room, and realized that something was not quite right. It took only a few seconds for her brain to latch onto what that was.

None of the locals were in the room. No Shayla, Atton or Kreia.

"Hey guys, what's up?" she said, not really caring if she was interrupting.

Everyone stopped and turned to her, smiles on their faces instantly made her feel like she wanted to be somewhere else. She always hated being the center of attention.

Buffy was the first to move "Hey, about damn time you showed up…Whoa, what have you been crawling through!!" she exclaimed quickly.

Shannon smirked and carefully set the sack on the floor, a rather audible sloshing sound echoed through out the room.

"That would be what I was doing" she pointed at the bag.

"Oh my gawd!" Cari said dramatically. The smell had finally reached her.

Giles moved a few feet closer to look down at the bag, but kept his distance "I am hoping that there are no severed heads in that bag".

She laughed loudly, surprisingly making Buffy jump. Only a little however.

"Naw, even better" she said and turned towards the sleeping berth she shared with Buffy "But I really need a shower and a change of clothes" she said as she stripped her armour off.

Buffy started pointing frantically at the bag "Your…what…your just gonna leave that thing there?!".

Shannon smirked "Sooner you get used to it the better boss-lady, it's the key to rescuing our missing JedI master".

She then quickly left, hoping to reach the shower before she was bombarded with more questions.

**Korriban - Shyrack Caves…**

Xander had no idea how he was still alive. His Violet lightsaber thrummed with every parry, every strike, every flourish.

And if the grim determination and barely restrained rage on the faces of his two opponents was any indication, they we're asking the same thing.

Abruptly the skirmish stopped. Like a buzzer had gone off they all stepped back. Eyeing each other as they slowly circled.

He briefly met Bastila's emerald green eyes, a thousand questions flashed through his mind in the second they met. It was all pushed to the side however as a strange feeling raced up his spine.

He looked to Mission. And was completely unsurprised to see nothing but hate in her eyes.

He wasn't sure how he managed to relax his posture. Some instinct from Shayla maybe, or maybe he had been doing this for far too long. Facing insurmountable odds that is.

Bastila mirrored his own stance. Her arms held loosely to her sides, her weapon still active.

Mission was not. Her five foot tall frame paced back and forth like a caged predator, simply waiting for the right moment to pounce, every muscle tensed and ready to react.

"This is getting us no where" he said quietly, hoping his voice wouldn't disrupt the reprieve. He needed the rest, even if it lasted only a few seconds longer.

Bastila's eyes narrowed "What do you propose?".

Xander sighed "In case you two were unaware, the cave collapsed behind me".

Mission started giggling "I couldn't let the broken moron kill you before I could now could I".

Xander sighed "Why does this not surprise me" he said quietly "Still, we're trapped in here. And out there is a rather unpleasant individual and an army of Assassins".

"You are offering what…an alliance?" Bastila asked with only a hint of distrust.

"Call it what you want. We work together to get out of here, avoid Mr. sleeps-with-vibroblades and then, if you two are so intent on continuing this little talk…" he said calmly.

Mission sneered "What makes you think we're not allied with them?".

Xander smiled, hoping neither could feel his lack of confidence "Call it a hunch…though it might be indigestion".

He wasn't sure but he could have sworn he spotted a twitch on Bastila's lips. But the sound of Mission laughing. No, cackling. Like a teenage girl distracted him.

He watched her bend over, holding her stomach as she laughed, her weapon deactivated but still clutched in her hand.

That settled it. The girl was completely insane.

"It wasn't that funny" he said quietly, unsure of what to do, or say.

Bastila stepped closer, only a foot or so. Instantly halting Missions display of mirth.

Her head lowered slightly, long unkempt dark hair flowed to darken the shadows around her face "He is right Mission, I will accept this…truce. However, if either of you betray me, I will kill you both, slowly".

Xander couldn't help himself "That's the spirit!".

Mission looked at him oddly "I think he's broken…not quite right".

"Huh?" he mouthed.

"But, okay" she smiled sounding like a bubbly teenager "It might be fun. We'll kill each other later".

Xander sighed, and hoped that he wasn't making a very large mistake.

Turning from both women he regarded the dark and rather ominous feeling hole in the rock face "Well, something tells me that's the only option we have".

No one spoke for a few seconds. He hoped his probably foolish show of trust wasn't going to end with a lightsaber through his back. Again.

"I sense a tremor in the force, something dark dwells within that cave" Bastila said quietly as she moved to his right side, keeping several feet from him.

"Hmm, like a bad horror vid" Mission giggled as she stepped right up to Xanders left, and wrapped both arms around his free arm, resting her head against his shoulder "I'm scared Xander..Hold me".

He looked down at the teenager with a mix of shock and surprise, then at Bastila who had an identical look plastered on her face.

_What the hell have I gotten myself into…._

**Dantooine**

Dawn stood in silence, the day was coming to an end. Soon the light of day would give way to night, and she would leave this world for another.

It felt like she was running away. And it left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Your thoughts betray you young one" intruded Kreia.

Dawn sighed "I came up here to be alone Kreia".

The old woman didn't respond. The silence stretched on until the sun had finally dipped below the horizon. It was Dawn who finally broke that silence.

Turning slightly she regarded the shadowed figure standing next to the Swoop bike she had borrowed from Buffy.

"Why are you here?".

The old woman still didn't speak, she couldn't tell if the woman had suddenly gone deaf or was lost in thought.

"I have come. To apologize".

Dawn stopped "Not something I ever expected to hear you say".

Kreia nodded, the hood of her robes shifted slightly "Myself as well" she sighed slightly before stepping up to the ridge that Dawn occupied. Her gaze turned towards the horizon and the myriad of colors being cast from the setting sun.

"I am not accustomed to apologizing. Yet I believe it is warranted. I have not shown anything except derision towards you and your friends. You could have left, at any time. Your friends could have found a way to return you to your world. And yet you all chose not to. This is not your fight, and yet you chose to stay" she paused as she turned to regard Dawn directly.

"Kreia, this is what we do. It's all we've ever known, helping people. I don't think we know how not to help people".

"A habit you will need to break I'm afraid" the old woman said, and held up a hand to halt any response "Just listen to my words before you vehemently reject my opinion. This Galaxy is teetering upon a chasm. The winds of change are strong, and the fate of every sentient in this galaxy hang in the balance. Should our enemy succeed, the darkness that shall descend will be unlike anything either of us could imagine. In light of this, helping is the right course. The enemy needs to be stopped. But we cannot be everywhere. We cannot help everyone".

"Then what. Help only those who can be useful to our fight?" Dawn asked, no anger seeped into her voice.

"Yes and no. Help those you can. But chose your battles. Do not offer your guidance or your strength to everyone you come across, to do so will weaken you, and now is the time to conserve what strength we have" she responded.

Dawn turned towards the horizon without thinking about it "I'm not sure I can do that. I don't think it's in me to turn my back on another persons suffering".

Kreia abruptly turned and began to walk away "Perhaps. I ask that you only consider what I have said".

Dawn didn't watch the old woman leave. She just stood there and watched the last of the light fade away. Her mind racing with thoughts she would rather not have.

**Korriban - Elsewhere…**

Jon scanned the narrow Valley through the range-finder and smiled, he tapped his ear-mic "BD, your mod worked, I got a hazy image of three cloaked assassin's, standing watch over those star fighters we tangled with earlier, and four Interceptors".

_Good _was a quiet response in his ear.

_I'm at the ridge overlooking the valley now, no sign of the Sith Lord. But there's a lot of activity here, looks like he left everyone behind to dig out the cave, he really wants Xander dead._

"We did detect a ship leaving orbit_"._

_Or he wants us to think he left._

"Glad to know I'm not the only pessimist".

_So, what's the plan?._

Jon scanned the Valley again and sighed "Leave Spider to watch the Valley, then get your ass over here, we're gonna screw up their rides while they do the work of getting Xander clear".

_I like the way you think O'neill._

**Dantooine**

Willow watched in silence as the massive freighter lifted off and slowly moved over them, gaining height and speed as it moved. All too soon it was gone, like it was never there.

Giles stepped up to her side "They'll be fine" he said.

"I know, it's us I'm worried about" she said as she looked up at his face.

The old brit smirked as he reached for his glasses "Your not the only one my dear".

Someone coughed behind them, drawing their attention.

"Sorry" Graham said as he drew closer "Just thought I'd let ya know that, uh..your friend Visas. She kind of fixed that droid in the closet".

Willow and Giles looked at each other and together they all ran towards the Ebon Hawk.

* * *

Shayla studied the slightly rusty, and very battered droid standing just within the storage room, the look in it's receptors gave her the feeling that she was being evaluated, and being as it looked identical to the hunter-killer droids they had already tangled with she wouldn't be surprised at all if that was exactly what it was doing.

Riley stood close to the hatch leading to the cock-pit, his submachine gun already in his hands, though not aimed directly at the droid. She was thankful for his presence.

"Visas…how exactly did you fix it?" she asked, while not diverting her gaze.

"The fix is only temporary, without additional parts it will cease to function within five days, six at the most" she responded.

"_Irritated Statement: Though I am only an inanimate object, to speak as if I am not in the room is simply rude"_ the droid spoke, sounding literally identical to the others it resembled.

Riley snorted "Until we know your not a threat, being polite isn't a priority".

The droid turned it's head slightly, just enough to keep the earth soldier in it's view "_Diagnostic: HK-47 activated. Running checks through primary systems._

_Assessment: It appears I have suffered considerable damage and dismemberment. I can feel cracks in my motivators. And my central control cluster seems to have taken several repeated blaster shots at close range. How crude._

Riley raised an eyebrow at the droids speech patterns, but remained by the hatch, saying nothing.

Shayla smirked at his reaction, then looked into the droids optics "You look a lot like a series of droids that have attacked us on several occasions. Any explanations for that?".

HK shifted slightly.

_Answer: Oh, that is impossible __**Master**__. If I were out to kill you, we would not be speaking. And regardless, I am a unique model. Why, to think they're would be other versions of me would be unacceptable. _

"There are several not so functional versions of you out their" Willow said from the entrance "How do you explain it?".

HK shook his rusted head, looking back to Shayla.

_Statement: __**Master**__, I must inform you that your attempts at humour are wasted on a droid such as I. As I have expressed. I am unique._

Shayla smiled slightly "Sorry to tell you otherwise, but there's a series of HK-50 droids that share your model. And function. We have encountered them on multiple occasions".

The droids posture change, an audible sigh echoed from his vocal processor.

_Resignation: Very well __**Master**__. If you must persist in your attempts at humour, I shall indulge you. Let me check the ships records, and we will settle this matter once and for all._

Without moving from the enclosed area he was found in, the droid turned slightly and a six inch long chrome spike erupted from it's metal fist. Which he inserted into the door access panel. Only a few seconds passed before it removed the spike and turned back to Shayla.

_Conclusion: You speak the truth. This discovery is causing me some degree of Anger. And humiliation._

"That's a new one" Riley snorted.

"Are you alright?" Shayla asked, not taking her eyes from the droid.

_Mockery: Am I alright?. Oh Yes __**Master**__. I am fine._

_Statement: I mean, I have only just been reactivated, only to find that there are substandard duplicates of me running all over the galaxy, corroding my good name. But if they are in fact hunting you. Then I look forward to the opportunity to meet these units - And educate them in proper assassination protocols._

Everyone could hear the very real emotion in the droids voice. It truly seemed to be rather angered, and was definitely spoiling for a fight.

_Conclusion: So. It seems I need you __**Master**__ - For the time being._

Giles stepped forward "So, you are an assassin droid?"

_Recitation: Yes, as I said. I am an assassin droid. It is my primary function to burn holes through meat bags that the __**master**__ wishes to be removed from the galaxy - Oh how I hate that term._

Miller leaned forward from behind Willow "What term?".

_Answer: __**Master**__ - Ah, I said it again._

Everyone smirked slightly at the droids obvious quirks. Shayla quickly regained the droids attention however "Look, just to be clear on one thing. You are not to kill anyone unless in self-defence. Even then, I don't want you acting without my order".

_Answer: Yes. __**Master. **__HK-47 is ready to serve._

**Korriban - Unknown Tomb**

Xander stepped across the stone work archway, a near physical feeling raced up his spine, leaving him feeling oddly weaker. He instantly felt like he did those first few days after his eye had been gouged out.

Two Gasps echoed behind him. He wasn't the only one apparently.

Bastila stepped up to his side "Something…is blocking my ability to call upon the force".

Mission too stepped forward "The fire in my brain…the fire is smaller.." she said in little more than a whisper.

Xander spared both women only a glance before turning to the room ahead. Which upon further inspection appeared to be an intersection. A worn statue adorned an alcove across from them. Two stone worked doors lead to his left and right.

"Stay frosty" was all he said before stepping further into the room.

He was immediately assaulted by a powerful wave of vertigo. His vision blurred and he nearly fell. But it passed just as quickly. Leaving him slightly nauseous but otherwise unharmed.

He then noticed a tall man, dressed in gold and blue armour literally step through the wall across from him. Two light blue tattoo's stretched over his skull.

He heard both Mission and Bastila gasp, instinctively moving closer to him. He then spotted why. Five more hazy figures stepped through the walls. All dressed in the soft tan and brown uniforms of JedI.

Xander also noticed that two of the hazy figures he already knew. The much younger vision of Shayla Kracek stepped right passed him, stopping only feet from the tall armoured figure standing across from them.

The second vision was also standing right beside him. He couldn't help but turn towards Bastila, and then back to the much younger vision standing next to Shayla's doppelganger.

The differences in the two women was almost impossible to believe.

The teenaged vision standing only a few feet away was so full of life. Her eyes wide and full of defiance. He couldn't't stop himself from looking back at the older woman.

To be confronted with such a vision, he could see the differences time had inflicted upon her. The weariness in her eyes. Even more pronounced as the real Bastila stared in shock at the vision of her younger self.

He noticed that the short pale blue skinned Twi'lek standing next to her was also lost in thought, her red and yellow tinged eyes were a mix of confusion and pain.

A deep yet powerful voice grabbed their attention "Do not heed the words of the JedI council. The Republic will fall if we do not act now. Already the Mandalorians have taken three systems along the Rim. They will only grow more powerful with time. Come, stand with me. We will use our might to help the Republic in it's time of need. Join us, Join Revan and I. Together we will battle this menace".

The tall figure turned towards a woman near end, short with soft Asian features, her long black hair pulled into a tight braid.

"I have heard of you. Your Master speaks well of you. Of your battle prowess. Join us".

The woman nodded, with only a hint of a smile "To fight for such a cause is the duty of all JedI. I will join you" she said before stepping up to stand next to the tall figure.

Another voice, much softer and instantly familiar whispered next to him "This is when I joined Revan. To fight in the Mandalorian wars" she said, staring directly at him.

"Shayla?…Why…Why are we seeing this?".

"A connection. Something you need to see. To understand" she replied, then turned back to the tall figure.

Bastila stepped closer "This…It's been so long…that's Malak, before he fell".

Xander turned back to the collection of visions. Just as Malak began to speak again.

"The JedI council is wise but can make mistakes. History has proven this, time and time again. The council seems content, to watch, to debate, while entire systems fall to the Mandalorians. If we do not act now, there may be no Republic Army to assist in the future" he then turned to look at the vision of Shayla.

"I sense you will join us. What are your reasons?" he asked, his voice deep, with a commanding passion.

Shayla nodded, then turned slightly looking to Xander "I did join. Without hesitation, against the Councils wishes. I had to do it. The council was taking so long. The Mandalorians would have won".

Malak again spoke "Trust in yourself. Trust in you instincts"

Another vision stepped forward. A tall blonde male with crystal blue eyes. He bowed before Malak and then stepped to his side.

"It was within our power to end the war. Instead the council chose to debate behind closed doors, while planets burned" Malak continued. This time looking directly at Xander.

Bastila shook her head "You never gave them a chance. To reveal their plan" she said quietly.

Another vision moved to stand next to Malak. A tall blonde woman, nearly a twin of the blonde male. Right behind her a dark skinned male with curly black hair.

"There vaunted wisdom bred only inaction" Malak continued "And that would have lead to greater destruction than anything bred of the dark side".

Malak's gaze shifted again to Xander "The Mandalorians await on the edge of space, eager to crush the Republic. You know how this turns out. If it was you, standing here with us all those years ago. Would you have done what we felt was needed?. Knowing what it would cost?. What it cost her. What it cost us all?….What it would cost you?".

"Yes" he said. Surprised at hearing his voice answer so quickly.

Shayla was now standing next to Malak, her gaze cold as she turned to face him.

Malak smiled "So knowing how it all ends. The lives and worlds lost. You would have joined us. Revan and I. Your alone now. Could you have turned away from us as she did? Facing Exile or worse for defying the council?".

The younger vision of Bastila then stepped to stand next to Shayla. Smiling with righteous defiance as she looked to both Xander and the real Bastila.

"No..No!. I never joined you!. I tried to warn you of defying the Council!" she nearly screamed.

Malak smiled deeper "Oh. But you did my dear. You did. In time you came to our way of thinking. And even before then, you wavered, and wondered what would have happened".

"You didn't't give me the choice!" she growled "You made me what I am!".

Malak sneered "Are you so certain?. Every step along the way, we did what we believed was necessary. What we believed was right".

He turned to Xander "Perhaps the same path lays before you".

"Maybe. But this happened along time ago. I wasn't there" Xander said, stepping further into the room.

"That moment. This moment. The same choice needs to be made" Malak said, stepping forward as well, igniting a red lightsaber "The time for words are done. Now it's time you felt the full power of the dark side".

**Dantooine**

Willow stepped from the temporary quarters assigned to Visas-Mar. The Miraluka woman was strong, there was not denying that. But she was still weak. Her use of magic to bring the woman down had been more than she intended to use.

It shouldn't have happened.

She rubbed her face, pulling her hair back as she took a deep breath. She needed to relax. To meditate. Or maybe a hot bath. She was stressed, she knew it. Hell everyone knew it.

'Your just gonna have to tough it out Willow. Like everyone else'.

Taking another deep breath she started for the common area. She knew they would be going after Master Vrook soon. And she intended to join them. She had no intention of staying cooped up in the ship any longer.

She slowed as she neared the large central room. The voices of the others echoing through the corridor. It seems Shayla had again started the meeting without her.

Oddly enough it didn't bother her, she hadn't made it clear that she was intending to do anything but sit in the ship. This time however was different.

"Alright. So it's settled. Thanks to Shannon, we shall use the Kinrath glands to by-pass the herd. Once inside we'll split into two groups. The map her friend made for us indicates that Vrook will be held in one of two area's" Shayla was saying.

"Are we absolutely sure this is accurate?" Riley asked "This Twi'lek was working with the Merc's".

"Ahrnell is a good guy Riley. A Xenobiologist down on his luck is all, I trust him" Shannon responded.

A brief silence filled the room. Shayla finally spoke "Still, Riley is right. We will use what Ahrnell acquired. But it would be wise to assume that this information may have been planted. Plan for the worst".

"Alright" Shannon said quietly.

"Okay. Two teams. Slow and quiet. Avoid contact with any mercenaries if possible" a brief pause "We cannot afford to let any one of them raise an alarm. Both tunnels eventually meet up, so keep going until Master Vrook is located, or we rendezvous".

"Which would mean they've moved him" Giles added.

"Precisely" Shayla said.

Willow took another breath and stepped into the room "I volunteer to lead one of the teams".

**And so I continue. Having so much relatively free time as I recuperate, and going over everything I've written and has been collecting dust, I felt the old muse returning. More so as I stared at the wreck of what I left unfinished. Let's pray I have the inclination to actually finish this entire story before we all turn white haired, sitting on porches, with Whiskey and walking aides!.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.**

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon.

I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by **Michael Weyer**. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

* * *

**Class M Freighter - Hyperspace en-route to **_**Nar Shaddaa.**_

Buffy leaned against the wall of the rather spacious cargo hold, reconfigured slightly to make room for a training area. All at the request of they're newest addition.

Mical.

At the moment, her baby sister was sitting in a cross-legged position. Deep in meditation, if the surprisingly serene look on her face was any indication.

Only a few feet away, mirroring her sat the young JedI. His own face relaxed and calm. And truth be told, it was driving Buffy just a little nuts.

"You should try this Buffy" Dawn cut in, her eyes still shut "It might help with the nervous energy".

Her eyes narrowed "Stop doing that".

"Cant help it, your broadcasting" her little sister replied.

Mical opened his eyes "Indeed, is it something about hyperspace or something else?".

Buffy shrugged her shoulders "I don't do so well with inactivity".

The young man smiled "Would you care to assist me in evaluating your sisters combat ability?".

Dawn's eyes snapped open "Awesome idea!".

Buffy couldn't hide the smile "That I can do".

Mical stood quickly and moved to a small case set by the stairs leading up to the cockpit and living area "I took the liberty of modifying a few of the lightsabers you had in your possession. And Shayla was kind enough to let me bring a few".

He pulled two of the cylindrical weapons from the crate and moved towards the two women "I exchanged the focusing crystals with those salvaged from the Enclave. And installed a power regulation system".

"Huh?" both Summers girls asked simultaneously.

Mical smiled "Different colours and adjustable power settings" he explained "These two now have two settings".

They both took one of the weapons, with Dawn instantly activating hers out of curiosity. Revealing a long blue blade.

Buffy stepped away and flicked hers on, it wasn't difficult to find the switch. There were only two switches as it was. Both clearly marked.

"They are both currently set to a lower power setting, sufficient for training. Which will reduce the possibilities of injury to nearly zero" Mical explained.

Buffy's weapon sprang to life, growing to three feet in length, and glowed a bright green "Nifty" she smiled.

Mical nodded and moved to stand where Buffy had stood only moments before "Ladies?".

Catching the meaning quickly, they both moved to the center of the bay. Dawn raised her blade up and saluted. Buffy simply took a guarded stance.

Buffy surged forward the moment dawn had settled into her own stance, her left leg slightly behind her right and both hands on the hilt, the blade angled behind her, reminding Buffy a little of the few Kendo classes she had taken.

Her green blade leading the way, intending to open with a swift thrust, she was unsurprised to feel her sister reflect the strike just enough to avoid her.

What she wasn't expecting however was the effect of her own thrust pulling her further into the attack. She had just over compensated for the dramatic difference of weight in the weapon.

It was all Dawn needed, and Buffy hissed as she felt a very real burning sensation flared on her arm and leg. Leaving Buffy to stumble forward, her eyes wide and quickly checking to make sure both limbs were still there.

"Jesus!" she hissed, stumbling away and staring wide eyed at the scorch marks on her shirt and pants "You said it wouldn't hurt!".

"No, I said the possibility of injuries are nearly nothing" he smiled "Minor burns and bruising are the worst. If it did not hurt, how could one learn to not get hit?".

"You're an evil man Mical" she hissed and took a brief moment to get acclimated to the weapon, silently kicking herself for not doing so before hand.

"Ready freddy?" Dawn asked from where Buffy had started the sparring match.

Buffy smiled, and brought her own sword up in a salute "Bring it squirt".

"Wait" Mical called out "Dawn, during the battle at the Enclave. You showed a firm grasp of Niman. Yet just now you chose to use Juyo….".

"Huh?" she interrupted.

The look on his face had Buffy snickering quietly "Styles Dawny. Combat styles, and he's right. Two different styles".

Dawn looked at the floor obviously embarrassed "I don't know what they're called. I just went with what felt right…all part of the download from Shayla I guess".

Mical sighed "Perhaps we should begin at the beginning. You have the skills, and though effective in the heat of battle as we have seen. Well, as I said, let's start from the beginning".

Dawn nodded "Okay".

Buffy turned off her saber "Guess I'll go see what Atton's doing then".

"No, that won't be necessary" Mical interjected "You have the ability to wield a lightsaber quite effectively, I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to utilize the less Force based applications within the various styles".

Buffy smirked "Wouldn't other JedI frown on that?. Teaching a non-JedI this stuff?".

He nodded "At the moment, there is no JedI Order, and should we succeed in our mission to stop these Sith. Assuming we can rebuild the order, I'm sure no one will mind".

Dawn nudged her in the arm "C'mon, you'll like it, and I won't feel like such a boob practising by myself".

Buffy's smile widened "Alright Sensei. Show us what you got".

**Korriban - Unknown Tomb…**

Xander barely deflected several blasts from the onrushing Mandalorians, sending them on a return trip to slam into the lead blue armoured warrior, he crashed to the stone floor heavily, chest plate smoking.

Calling upon the force he easily somersaulted up and over, his violet blade slashing several times before his feet touched the ground, relieving another four warriors of their heads.

Even the combat targeting visor could barely make out the forms of the endless waves of warriors rushing across the bridge towards him, it was all he could do to keep his defence. Reflecting blaster shots as fast as he could bring his sword to bare.

The second wave reached him only moments later, pulling Vibro swords from back mounted sheaths as they neared. Thankfully he would only be facing two or three at a time.

Whether real or Illusion, he couldn't afford to let his guard down, Bastila and Mission were already down from blaster fire from the first wave. They were alive, that much he could feel through the force, but how badly they were hurt he couldn't tell. The darkness that pervaded everything around him made it more than difficult to feel anything around him.

The second wave crashed into him a moment later, three swords crashing into his own with very real impact. It was all he could do to keep himself from sliding back.

High, low, wide slash. He could barely keep up his own defence, let alone mount an assault of his own. He needed an option, something, anything. Or the Illusionary, yet still deadly warriors would roll right over him.

He had to call upon his already dwindling connection to the force.

Another full minute passed before he spotted his opening, the center Mandalorian over reached in a powerful thrust, leaving the two warriors on either side of him unable to effectively hack at him with their own swords, without hitting their comrade.

Xander threw himself backwards, leaping high into the air and crossed only a few feet before twisting and landing back on his feet. The enemy had recovered and were again rushing towards him, but he had bought a single precious second in which to react.

Calling upon the force he could feel his exhaustion fade and strength return, and with a tiny sneer on his lips raced to meet them. His sword leading the way.

He didn't know what to call the style he instinctively found himself doing, but it was effective. He lashed out with controlled yet powerful strikes. Easily batting away blades and slicing through arms and legs as he advanced.

The bridge was too narrow for the enemy to recover effectively. Like lemmings they rushed across, only to choke up in smaller numbers, allowing Xander to cut them down like little more than chaff.

The power slowly built up within him, the feeling of righteous fury gripped his heart. Like a tiny flame, only to grow with every swing. Every enemy his eyes told him was no more. Fuelling the next strike, and the next.

The moment was all he could see, all thoughts of surviving nearly gone. Just the over powering need to remove the enemy as they came.

It was over far too quickly. He even had to blink several times, and spin to survey the area before realizing he had no one left to kill.

Breathing heavily he turned back to the stone bridge, and watched as the faces of the illusionary republic soldiers saluted him before fading away.

His eyes falling upon the only two real people in the room. Both only now beginning to stir. They were alright, he could feel them now.

He turned away, closed his eyes and focused on the feeling that still filled nearly every part of him. The need to destroy was still there.

"Xander?" Bastila called out a few moments later, pulling his thoughts back to the now.

"Yeah, I'm here" he responded quietly, back still turned to her and the mentally unstable Twi'lek.

Two sets of footsteps drew closer, he kept his back to them, he couldn't let them see him like this. He couldn't let them see the anger in his eyes.

"Xander?" Bastila said quietly, the one word conveying everything, no other words were necessary.

"I'm fine" he said, with more force than was needed "We should keep going".

With that, he chose the center door, opening it by thought as he approached and continued off into the darkness, his Violet blade illuminating the way.

He couldn't see the smile etched upon the scarred face of Mission Vao, or the frown on the face of Bastila Shan. And neither did they see the looks on each others faces. They both moved to join him, both more than aware of what was happening.

**Dantooine - Kinrath Caves…**

Willow held her breath as two particularly repulsive creatures ambled by. Stopping for only a moment to sniff the air where Willow and her team was standing. Pressed with backs to the rough cavern wall.

They didn't attack however, simply continued along they're way a second later. No one moved for nearly a minute though.

Shannon sighed from the front "Man, I'm so glad we don't have to fight our way through these things. There's got to be at least a hundred down here".

Giles nodded "Fighting our way through them would most certainly give away our presence, again Shannon I must say thank you".

Willow smiled weakly but said nothing, taking the moment to find that ever fleeting courage.

Shannon looked further down the corridor "Okay, back to point. I'll let you know when to advance".

Willow nodded and watched as the eighteen year old stalked off into the darkness ahead. How she could handle the cramped confines of the caves, surrounded by hundreds of alien carnivorous creatures she really didn't know. Then again, nearly every Slayer had shown that unique strength of will. She shouldn't be so surprised.

A gentle touch of a hand wrapped around Willows arm. She didn't need to look to know it belonged to Visas Marr. She had been doing the same thing periodically since they first entered the caves. Somehow that simple touch helped to calm her. Almost as if the Miraluka Sith was absorbing the worry and fear that threatened to overwhelm her.

This time was no different. Willow could feel her resolve returning, and just in time as Shannon's voice echoed in her ear.

_Bingo, there's a well lit cave thirty feet ahead. Just around a sharp bend. I've got lots of machinery, storage crates, mercenaries and our wayward Jedi Master. I'm counting ten baddies and our boy is locked in some kind of cage, no bars but it's all glowing and stuff._

Willow frowned "This isn't right" she whispered.

"Willow?" Giles asked.

"He's a Jedi Master, and a prisoner of a bunch of mercenaries?. We've seen what a Jedi can do…even if Dawn and Xander aren't actually Jedi" she replied.

Giles face creased in thought, easily recognized even in the darkness that surrounded them "A good point. Perhaps this is a trap?".

"For who though?. Us or for the Mercenaries?" she asked, smiling even as she said the words "He's a Jedi Master….you don't think he intended to get caught?".

"It's certainly possible" Giles whispered a moment later.

Willow needed to know, gripping the throat microphone as Graham showed her she whispered quietly "Shannon, I'm coming forward. I need a clear line of sight on Master Vrook".

Giles reached out, gently grasping her arm "Be careful".

Willow nodded, offering a tentative smile and then moved off into the darkness, almost mentally repeating to herself the need to be careful. To be quiet.

So lost in the need to be absolutely silent, she almost stumbled into Shannon, hiding just around the bend. Only the quick reflexes of the young Slayer kept her from falling over in surprise.

Shannon smiled, the glow from the numerous lights set up within a large side cave cutting through some of the cold fear that threatened to over whelm her.

The Slayer held up her hand, then pointed. Her finger aimed directly at an older man standing within some kind of cylinder with no bars. Blue energy crackled around him as he stood absolutely still, eyes closed and hands clasped in front of him.

Willow nodded and closed her own eyes. She whispered a few words and called upon an old spell, attempting to summon her own energy, even from behind the barrier she had erected earlier.

She could feel the barriers weaken, almost seeing the cracks form within her mind. She ruthlessly pushed the image away. She would deal with them later.

She lowered her head and reached out, feeling her way across the room with a single sliver of perception. An ethereal extension of herself.

In her mind, it was a silver tendril of smoke, weaving it's way across the cavern floor. Easily passing through the force field that surrounded the Jedi. And quickly climbed up to wrap around his head and face.

A heartbeat later she could feel the foreign emotions of the Master, he could feel her connection. That was unexpected, but would make this easier.

She didn't push the tendril further, simply surface contact should suffice.

_Master Vrook. Are you Okay?._ She thought.

_How…Who…What is this?_. A surly voice echoed in response.

_It's called telepathy, or actually Empathy. Though apparently your JedI training makes it easier for surface thoughts to be exchanged, which is good cause to establish a full telepathic connection would take far too much of my energy and then I'd probably be inside your head and I don't like doing that cause it's really uncomfortable and people generally don't like it when others are reading their thoughts or their deeper dreams and such…and oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to babble like that. I'm Willow Rosenberg, I'm a friend of Shayla Kracek, we're here to rescue you, though something tells me your not really in the need for rescue are you?._

The barrier that snapped up within Vrook's mind was almost like a door slamming shut in her face, sending a shimmer of energy back towards her, not enough to break the connection, but enough to give her a head ache for the next few days.

Slightly irritated Willow pushed back, only a little. Like a mental tap on the man's mental shields. Knocking at the door.

_You can't shut me out completely Master Vrook, besides, we really need to talk._

_This form of telepathic contact is very dangerous, and I know of know Force Sensitive who has been able to achieve such ability. How are you doing this?. _He mentally growled.

_I'm not using the force, though I have found similarities to the power I'm using and the force but whatever, we can talk about that later. We really need to talk._ She replied, adding a sense of urgency to the link.

_You admit to be allied with the Exile, why should I trust you?._

_Whoa!. She has a name you know!. Sheesh, distrusting much?. _She balked, adding her irritation to the link to force home the point.

_I don't know what happened between you too, and frankly I don't care, what I do care about is the fact that we're here to help. The Sith are out there hunting down any and all Jedi they can find, and we're trying to find you missing Masters, so we can figure out who they are, where they're coming from and how to stop them. _She quickly added.

Vrook's response was cold, yet filled with more than a little Anger _The Ex..Shayla is no Jedi. So I do not see why the Sith would be after her._

Willow wanted to roll her eyes _She's regained her connection to the force, and two of my friends along with her. There all targets. _

_Impossible. There's no way she could…_

_Hey Old and Grumpy Focus!_ Willow snapped _This is taking a lot of energy, so can we keep to the situation at hand?. Like why you allowed yourself to be captured?._

_How do you know I allowed them to capture me?._ He asked.

_Please!. I've seen what Shayla, Dawn and Xander can do, there's no way they could capture any of them without some serious trickery, and you're a Master…Aren't you?._ Willow teased.

_Hmm. Well, your assessment is correct, I did allow myself to be captured. It was necessary to discover what they had planned._ He replied after only a brief hesitation.

_And?…_

_These Mercenaries are in the employ of the Exchange, a criminal organization. They are planning to attack Khoonda, kill the Administrator and hold it for their employers. I cannot allow that to happen._ He finally explained.

_How can we help?._ Willow asked, feeling the disbelief and annoyance from Vrook through the link.

_Leave, I can handle this situation._ He mentally snapped.

_Hey!. Enough with the attitude, please. Whether you believe it or not, we are here to help. So just let us!._ Willow snapped back, barely masking her own irritation at the old JedI.

_Very well, if you wish to help. Warn the administrator and Militia of this threat. And do what ever can be done to prepare them for the worst. Should I fail to stop them._ He relented, though she could tell he didn't like the thought of relying on anyone else. Especially Shayla for some reason.

_And what are you going to be doing?_ She asked.

_I shall wait another hour or so, then make my escape. With the rest of the Mercenaries believing me to be of no threat, I shall be free to act._

Willow sighed. _And - do - what?_

The hesitation only confirmed what she was thinking. When the Elder JedI did respond, Willow had to count to ten to not scream in frustration.

A light touch on her shoulder distracted her, upon opening her eyes she found herself staring at a sight she had not anticipated.

Giles and Visas standing only a few paces away, hands above their heads. Four heavily armed Mercenaries standing behind them.

Shannon was still kneeling beside her, hands raised slightly away from her own weapons. All in all there was no where to go, or run.

_Uhm…Master Vrook?. I think your about to have a few more people joining you…_

**Korriban - Unknown Tomb…**

Xander nearly stumbled as he avoided another claw from yet another giant lizard. The beast however was already swiping with another claw, and followed with a lunge, it's massive jaws snapped only inches from his face.

"This…is…not…fun" he grunted as he spun low, and brought his saber up and through the beasts head. Adding another corpse to the floor of the tomb.

Another giant lizard filled the void. He had lost count of the dead lizards. His arms felt heavy and it seemed that he had been killing them for hours.

He ignored the exhaustion as best he could though. He had no other choice really.

If only Mission and Bastila hadn't been separated from him.

'Where'd that thought come from?'.

His momentary distraction cost him. Pain flared across his back, the force of the strike sent him flying, though he easily rolled with the blow. And then tapped into his ever decreasing connection to the force. Leaping into the air and planted his feet on the wall, then leapt back at the massive Lizard that had attacked.

The beast attempted to bat him away as he lunged across the twenty foot distance, but was too slow. Xanders Violet saber bit deeply into the beasts head, just as he touched the ground.

He tucked his legs under him and instinctively pulled off a homerun slide, taking him right under the beast. His saber cutting through the behemoth like it wasn't even there.

He slid to a stop and spun, bringing his blade around to defend any other attacks that came his way. And watched as the beast staggered forward a foot, before collapsing to the ground, all four legs splayed out to the side.

He glanced around the room and sighed. "I need a shower".

"You and I both" said a voice from the only entrance.

He turned slightly and nodded "We get outta here alive and a shower it shall be Milady" he smiled. Then clamped his mouth shut quickly. The sound echoed like a thunder clap off the stone walls.

"Uh..that's..I mean. I have a shower we can….You. You can use. Back on my ship" he stammered.

Bastila Shan stepped into the room. Phosphorescent growths casting a rather bright blue glow to the room "That was an impressive display. Very few can claim to have defeated four Hssiss" She said, ignoring his blathering.

"Dark side Dragons. Their bites are venomous, capable of influencing any that are sensitive to the force" she continued.

Xander glanced back to the rapidly cooling corpses "Huh. Good to know. Just don't touch that corpse" he pointed "First pair attacked after I checked for anything useful. Second pair attacked after I bumped it with my foot during the fight".

Bastila approached the very old corpse "Robes of a JedI. Common from the Civil War Era" she said, then carefully reached down, standing a second later with a battered Data-pad.

"You must have knocked this loose" she said, smirking at him. She then pushed something on the device "His name was Nebelish. This place obviously destroyed his mind. He speaks of Visions. Taking the form of his companions…he killed them".

Xander moved closer "Nothing we can do for him now. We should push on".

Bastila nodded "Yes. Before we end up like him".

Xander felt a subtle change in the room. His saber ignited instantly as he spun towards the door. Bastila standing beside him, her own saber at the ready.

Mission Vao stepped into the light smiling "Like old times" she purred "Miss me?".

Xander relaxed and released the blade, it snapped off with a hiss. Bastila hesitated a few moments, but relented to his example.

"I'm not sure why, but yeah" he said dryly.

Mission winked then turned and left the room "I found another room" her voice echoed back.

Bastila said nothing as she moved to follow the young Twi'lek. Not bothering to see if he was following.

He shook his head and sighed "Let's see if I can swallow anymore of my foot shall we" he muttered under his breath and then moved to catch up to the others.

**Korriban - Elsewhere…**

Jonathan O'Niell flashed the all clear signal before moving from cover, moving fast and quiet. He crossed the fifteen meters without alerting any of the three Sith sentries, posted to guard the enemy vessels.

'Only three. Damn sloppy' he thought to himself as he moved towards his first target. Slowing as he neared the closest Sith Fighter. Using the cover of darkness, as well as the fighters own dark paint job to further blend in.

_Target one on projected path. Area of engagement in twenty seconds._

Jon said nothing, nor did he move. He couldn't risk anything that might reveal his presence to the _Cloaked_ Assassin. He knew he only had one shot to remove each target. Wearing only his fatigues, having forsaken his armour. Except for the gauntlets and armed with only a vibro-knife and his submachine gun, strapped to his back. Just in case things got hairy.

He couldn't stop the memory of Faith and her objections to his plan from echoing in his mind.

_No. I'm faster and better equipped for that sorta combat. _

_Faith, your in no condition. A freakin wall landed on ya. Just relax okay, BD and I got this one. Besides, if those goons find the ship, you're the only one who could possibly fight off the inevitable waves of cloaked morons._

She had tried bitching, but in the end he had won the 'fight'. This was his and Bao'Durs mission, the Zabrak engineer currently up on a rise, acting as his eyes and ears.

_Tango approaching, contact in five seconds… Four… Three… Two._

Jon heard the faint crunching of dirt and gravel under light footsteps. He took in one slow but deep breath and waited. The voice in his ear stopped at two and sure enough, a hazy image strode into view, the cloak field illuminated thanks to the visor he wore.

All thought fled to the back of his mind as he quickly moved forward. Coming in on the Assassins right. The plan was to hit the first one fast and hard, while the other two couldn't see thanks to the position of the ships scattered around the valley.

The Assassin must have detected something, as it turned it's head towards him. Or started too before Jon struck.

His right hand struck the assassin in the throat. Right on target. He or she made no noise as it clutched at the damaged area, already staggering back. He pressed in, quickly moving into the assassins space, and simply pushed on the assassins right shoulder as he did. Spinning the soldier around.

A quick pull with the same hand and Jon had his arm neatly wrapped around the enemy soldiers throat. He pulled the man, definitely a man. Back into the shadows, and pulled his knife as he moved.

His blade slid into the light armour covering the man's back. A quick push down on the handle and two jerking motions, left to right and he knew it was over. One down.

Three seconds.

He slowly lowered the now dead assassin to the ground, exhaling slowly as he did.

Another set of footfalls approaching from the other side of the fighter caught his attention. He turned just as a Uniformed soldier stepped into view.

The plan had possibly just been shot to hell.

His mind took everything in and settled on a course of action before the man was fully in view. Right arm up and over. His Vibro-knife flew the ten feet. And the Officer hit the ground. His knife embedded in the right eye socket to the hilt.

He quickly crossed the ground and ducked his head around the corner just long enough to see if anyone else had heard, or seen what happened. Seeing no one he stepped out and picked up the officer, not wanting to leave a trail.

Both bodies were stuffed into the star fighters cockpit. It was dark, no one should be able to see anything unless they got too close.

_Sorry Jon, I didn't see him coming, the fighters obscured his approach._

He remained silent as he cleaned the blade on his pants, then ducked under the fighter. He had two more Assassins to neutralize, and possibly more unaccounted for Sith Officers.

He forced down his fear and trepidation. He was an Airforce Officer. He had a job to do.

* * *

**Korriban - Interceptor...**

Faith peeled up her black skin-tight shirt carefully, and winced slightly at the sight beneath. Her wounds. Both burns and lacerations from the force lightning attack, and subsequent collapse of the cliff had definitely left their mark. Bloody splotches could be seen seeping through the bandages.

"Damn" she hissed under her breath.

"You shouldn't be up and about" a voice said from the door.

"And you shouldn't be capable of walking Cor" Faith said, pulling her shirt down a bit fast. Like she had been caught doing something naughty.

Lonna Vash, or Cordelia Chase carefully stepped within the small confines of the fresher "I am a JedI Master. I have every right to be obstinate".

Faith smirked as she took in the older woman's condition. Her face, though still marred with angry red streaks. Looked healthier. Her unmarred skin was flush with color and her eyes didn't look so dark and hollow. Her strength had also returned somewhat, since the woman could actually walk, or at least support herself against he wall.

"Faith, you are a Slayer. But your not indestructible. Come and rest" she said soothingly.

Faith sighed and nodded slowly "Alright. But your going back to bed too. I don't care if you're a damn JedI Master or the freakin Pope".

Cordy smiled. The effect it had seemed to nullify the abstract scarring of her features "Good" she said and turned back towards the very small common area "This little jaunt took most of the strength I had regained".

Faith's jaw dropped "Then why..".

She stopped in the hatch "To make a point".

Faith closed her mouth. Suitably chastised and moved to help the woman back to her bunk. Neither speaking until both were relaxing on their respective beds.

"You think X is going to make it?" Faith asked quietly.

Cordy said nothing at first, her eyes were closed when the younger looked over.

"This place…clouds the force. But I know Xander. Sorry. Knew" she smiled slightly "He is possibly one of the most stubborn people I have ever met. He'll make it".

Faith nodded "Don't need the force to see that…still, nice to know someone else thinks so".

**Another Chapter done, the muse is definitely free flowing again.**

**Alltorian - Thanks a lot for the praise. Glad to know that there are people out there who want to see this completed as much as I do. **

**As usual, if anyone has idea's, complaints or objective criticism by all means drop a review or a private message. Though I do have a clear idea of where I want this to go, there is always room for change and growth. **

**RDS.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.**

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon.

I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by **Michael Weyer**. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

**Korriban - Unknown Tomb…**

Xander blinked several times out of habit, then stepped forward. One moment cautiously advancing down a dark stone corridor, with Bastila and Mission beside him. And the next, he was alone. Standing on what could only be the bridge of a warship.

Men and Women of various species moved around the cavernous pits that lined either side of the bridge. Dressed in distinctive Orange and Yellow Uniforms, trimmed in grey.

All told nearly a hundred people went about their business, all with a sense of urgency that even he could feel.

Movement above him drew his gaze, a massive vessel shaped like an arrow head moved into view beyond the massive windows that lined the bridge above.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

"Commander, a report for General Kracek" a man said from behind.

Turning quickly he found himself staring at a young Rodian Ensign. His uniform identical to the others, but missing the trinkets and adornments an officer would have.

And he was holding out a Datapad.

Xander hesitantly reached out for it, and took a deep breath as he felt the object in his hand. It was solid. "Uh…thanks".

"The General is waiting sir" the Rodian said, nodding towards the front of the bridge where a small collection of officers had gathered.

Xander looked back "Dismissed?".

The Rodian nodded and left, the turbo lift doors sliding shut behind him.

With another deep breath he turned towards the small gathering and moved to join them "This is just getting too weird".

The bridge was massive, at least a hundred meters long. But somehow he crossed that distance in one step. Standing next to several familiar faces. The four JedI who had joined Malak along with Shayla.

And speaking of the devil, Shayla Kracek herself, or at least a younger version. Maybe nineteen at most stood before a hazy blue hologram. The life sized figure fully cloaked, and wearing a stylized mask.

_General Kracek, are your forces ready?._

"Yes Master Revan, once General Kae's forces have engaged the bulk of Mandalore's fleet. We shall move in to cut off any escape, they won't have time to react before we arrive" she replied.

_Excellent, and the device?._

"My technician assures me the Mass Shadow Generator is ready, it will crush them all….including Kae's fleet unfortunately".

_They are aware of the risks, this war has gone on long enough. If we cannot end it here and now. The Mandalorians will easily be able to rebuild and reclaim the worlds we took back within a year. You have a job to do General, get it done._

Shayla saluted "Yes General".

She turned to regard the group even as the hologram vanished. She regarded the four Jedi standing next to him, and finally made eye contact with him specifically.

"You have a report for me?".

Her words caught him off guard "Uh, oh. Yeah…Yes General" he stammered, and held out the Datapad.

She took it quickly and read the contents on the spot. "It seems Revan requires the four of you for another matter" she said to the four standing next to him "Your to report to Revan's flagship immediately. Make it quick".

The four saluted, and simply faded from view as they walked towards the turbo-lift.

"I can imagine how confusing this all seems" Shayla said a moment later.

Xander blinked hard "Huh..Shayla?. What is this?".

The illusion stepped closer "Another connection. The past as seen through her eyes".

"I need a little more than that" he replied, and followed her as she turned back towards a holographic display of a solar system.

She pointed to a world, the fourth in the system. The display shimmered briefly as it zoomed in, showing a holographic view of nearly sixty ships of various designs arranged in three separate formations.

"Malachor V" she said quietly "This is the end of the Mandalorian Wars. And the beginning of Revan's Sith Empire".

He stared at the image before him, "This isn't making any sense Shay. Why am I seeing this?".

"Because you must. You need to understand" she replied.

Everything faded around him suddenly, the calm around him instantly replaced by the distant muffled sound of people calling out. The bridge was now a swarm of frenetic activity.

And above him, the sight of a massive battle was raging.

He could see at least four ships out in space, huge monstrosities. Firing massive energy cannons off out beyond his view. Return fire splashed harmlessly against the shields of two of them, but one received several direct hits, white armour plating blackening from the powerful energy blasts it took.

Shayla stood in the same spot, her hands bracing the display table "Look" she said, her voice strained.

He followed her gaze, and took in the holographic images before him. The sixty ships arrayed around the planet flashing in blue had been reduced by almost half.

Outnumbered by three separate fleets of ships, flashing red. The Mandalorians.

"There's nearly a hundred ships" he gasped "Against thirty?".

"Mandalore sent in nearly everything he had, taking Master Arren Kae by surprise. Even knowing they would come they caught us in a perfectly coordinated three prong assault" Shayla explained, even as she adjusted the holographic display.

Zooming out slightly another fleet of ships appeared, flashing green "This is my fleet".

"Still outnumbered" he commented, counting only forty ships.

She nodded "What you are about to see changes history, changes the future. It will affect everything that happens over the next ten years, and create ripples that will be felt for thousands more".

The holographic display flashed, and a small image of Bao-Dur appeared. It was easy to recognize him, even though he still had both arms at this time.

_General, the device is ready. Just give the word._

Shayla nodded "Are you ready Xander?".

"For what?. What am I suppose to see?" he asked, leaning forward to stare into her eyes "This isn't making any sense!".

She smiled, suddenly looking more tired and exhausted than he had ever seem before "It will".

"Activate the Mass Shadow Device" she ordered, not once looking away from him.

Xander kept his gaze locked onto Shayla's, not even blinking. She inhaled slowly, finally breaking the contact to close her eyes.

"I'm sorry Xander, but you must understand".

"Sorry?…".

He felt something, a pressure, crawl up his spine. And then a pain unlike anything he had ever felt flared in his head.

He felt a hundred different pains, all of them indescribable. Yet he knew what each of them were instinctively.

He knew burning.

He knew being crushed.

He knew suffocating.

He knew electrocution.

He knew Death.

And all he could do was scream.

**Dantooine - Kinrath Caves…**

Willow held her head high as the leader of the Mercenaries slowly moved down the wide line they had been forced into.

After being relieved of all weapons first of course.

She stopped before Willow, towering over her by only an inch or two, yet somehow seeming far more taller. The look in her eyes cold and uncaring.

"Who are you people?" the woman asked, her left hand resting nervously on the handle of a rather large blaster strapped to her thigh "Not locals, no ones stupid enough to risk the Kinrath. More merc's maybe?. Looking for work, or perhaps to take our bounty out from under us?".

Another mercenary stepped up, holding a bag that now contained all of their weapons, the man, sporting a heavy set of scars on the left side of his face glanced at willow only briefly as he leaned in close to the woman, nodding towards the bag even as he held it open for her.

She stepped back a foot before looking down at the contents, and pulled out one of the lightsabers claimed by Shannon. The interesting display of emotions that flashed across her face would have been amusing in any normal situation.

"So, a rescue then" she smiled "JedI coming to rescue one of their own, now this is interesting".

Shannon snorted lightly to her right "Ain't no JedI here love".

The woman instantly crossed the distance, invading the eighteen year olds space with the weapon clenched tightly in her hand "Really?".

Shannon didn't back down "Really" she smiled, leaning forward slightly "Go ahead, turn it on. Tell me what colour it is".

The woman hesitated as the realization of what Shannon was insinuating entered her mind. Finally she stepped back and hesitantly held the weapon out. It flashed to life a moment later, glowing a bright crimson red.

The reaction from the now fourteen assembled mercenaries was hard to miss. Hands clenched weapons tighter and a nervous energy seemed almost palpable on her tongue.

They were scared.

Willow seized onto it instantly, "Forgive my apprentice, she has difficulty in restraining herself".

Every eye was now on her, and it was all she could do to hold the eyes of the scary mercenary leader. Knowing that if she stopped to think about the situation she'd likely stutter, and that would give away the entire ploy.

She had no idea how she was going to bluff her way out of this, but she had to try. But how could she pretend to be a Sith, that was the question.

_Arrogance my dear, Sith are generally Arrogant, and rarely show anything beyond anger and hate._

Willow glanced annoyingly at the still caged JedI Master, standing absolutely still, eyes closed and hands tucked into the sleeves of his robes, a slight smirk gracing his features.

_Don't do that! _she hissed back through the link.

Vrook remained silent, but the rapidly weakening mystic link managed to convey his odd sense of amusement at the situation.

"Sith.." the woman gasped under her breath, not quite convinced even as she said it.

Willow looked back to the mercenary leader. "You have doubts?" she asked, pulling on every ounce of willpower she had to maintain eye contact, and not blink.

An unexpected flood of confidence flooded into her, foreign and unfamiliar energy. She fought the urge to look back to Vrook, the source of the emotion.

"Why would the Sith be interested in Dantooine?" the mercenary hissed "Last I heard your all as dead as the JedI".

Willow stepped forward "What would give you the idea that I care what you think?" she asked quietly "But to answer your unspoken question, the Sith are dead because it suits us for others to believe it".

The woman's face betrayed the confusion she obviously felt, giving Willow just a little more confidence. The more time she could buy them, the better chance Shayla and the others could hopefully arrive. Assuming they too hadn't been captured, or delayed.

The woman shook her head "Doesn't matter anyway, we're here, and there's more of us than you".

Willow smiled "Really? I was only aware of the lot of you at the camp, and of course those of you here. I hardly call that a sizeable force".

The insinuation was received and processed in record time. The woman's face darted to the faces of the four of them quickly as she puzzled out what Willow had just said.

"Perhaps we can work something out" she suggested.

"Captain" the man next to her hissed "Azkul..".

"Isn't here" she snapped "I am".

Willow smiled "I can see you're an intelligent woman, a rare quality amongst mercenaries".

"Like Azkul, I was Sith Special Forces. They don't recruit idiots" she smiled.

"No, they most certainly do not" Willow replied "What exactly do you suggest that may allow us to all leave without an unnecessary display of death and destruction?".

"Depends on why the Sith are here to begin with?" the woman said "I'm willing to listen, but I'm not totally convinced".

"Truthfully, I have my orders. Which are to take Dantooine as quickly and as quietly as possible. Which means drawing as little Republic attention as possible" Willow replied.

The woman seemed to think hard for a moment before nodding "I'm pretty sure I can convince most of the others to leave. For the right price, but you should know. The price tag isn't going to be cheap".

Willow rolled her eyes "Please, spare me. I know all about the Exchange and how much their paying you. My suggestion is to take your merry little band of cut throats and leave while you can. A far more richer purse than trying to negotiate for credits I think".

"A percentage of nothing is still nothing, and we have a powerful need to eat" the woman retorted.

"What of breathing?" Willow asked "Leave now, and take as many mercenaries with you as you can convince. Or stay, and I promise many days and nights as my personal pet".

The subtle malevolent shift in Willow's voice and body language almost shocked herself, taking even more effort to maintain the act. The darkness that Willow always felt, stirred deep within her.

It would be so easy to demonstrate for this pathetic little worm standing before her.

A gasp escaped the mercenaries lips, even as she opened her mouth to respond. Her eyes widened slightly and actual fear flitted across her face.

Willow wanted to reach out and feed on that fear. But somehow she forced it back down.

The woman swallowed hard "What..of the JedI?".

"He's mine" Willow whispered, her lips twisting into a mockery of a smile.

The man standing next to her tightened his grip on the Blaster Rifle "Teril, we give up the JedI and Azkul will skin us".

Willow felt the darkness uncoil within her, unpleasant thoughts filtered into her brain "And if you do not, I'll skin you right here" she purred, sounding far to happy even to her own ears.

_Oh god…I cant…No. I have to hold on!._

The mercenary leader nodded and stepped back "No, that's not necessary" she snapped out quickly. Her demeanour now reminiscent of a scared rabbit. Even the man who had spoken up against Willow's suggestion was suitably convinced, all from a little acting, and maybe a subconscious show of power.

"We're leaving, just…give us time to do so" the woman asked, no…pleaded.

Willow tilted her head to the side "You have until sundown" she replied quietly, yet somehow it carried across the entire cavern easily.

Teril, the leader of the small group of mercs didn't need to be told twice. The fear radiating from her, and from her associates was nearly overwhelming, taking nearly everything Willow had to reign in the very real urge to give in to the whispering deep in her heart.

All fourteen of them collected what few belongings they could grab and headed for exit, which wasn't much.

No sooner had they all disappeared from sight when everyone burst into action. Shannon and Visas headed after them, stopping only long enough to grab their weapons, and make sure they really were heading for the cave entrance.

Giles however bee-lined right for Willow, and wrapped her into his arms as quickly as he could, she could barely hear his whispering voice, like a second set of whispers under those trying to convince her to let out all of her anger, pain and hate.

She felt her arms slowly return the embrace, Giles soothing voice and nearly physical touch of concerned emotions helped to force back the need to let go. She felt her legs give out a moment later. And the familiar lump in her throat before the tears started to flow.

She didn't cry though, somehow she held it back enough to focus on the darkness and force it down, and with the strength coming from her mentor, willing strength, she managed to lock it down beneath a complex web of her happiest memories.

Voices echoed throughout the room just as she finished, and she lightly pushed Giles back enough so she could see what was going on.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly, the worry in his eyes almost enough to make her cry in happiness.

She nodded , swallowing back the lump futilely "Yeah, that….probably wasn't the best of idea's" she said, laughing nervously.

Looking past him she could see Shayla and the rest of the group, minus Caridad and HK-47 who were still back at the ship, now exchanging words with Vrook. Though more than a few looks of concern, and a little bit of suspicion from Vrook were cast towards her.

"Help me up" she whispered, finding the strength in her legs was still lacking. She leaned on Giles as they made their way across the cavern.

"Sorry about the display guys…my shields weren't enough to hold everything back" she explained as everyone stopped talking.

Shayla looked to Kreia briefly, standing strangely just behind Graham and Riley, as if trying to remain unseen.

"We didn't see anything Willow" Shayla smiled "But Master Lamar was just filling us in" she explained, looking to the old JedI with accusing eyes.

Now that she stopped to think about it, everyone, minus Kreia were now looking at Vrook with less than happy gazes.

Willow looked to the man in question, and was surprised to find the mystic link was still there. For a brief moment she could feel his concern, and a far more noticeable amount of mistrust through that link.

"I was simply explaining what had occurred" he explained.

"No Master Lamar, you were explaining to us how Willow's actions were unbecoming of a JedI, and perhaps made the situation here on Dantooine even worse?" Shayla quickly defended.

Willow sighed "Guys, I screwed up. But no one died, so I call that a win. Now. Since the Mercs have something to think about, maybe we should move this back to the ship. And work out what to do next?".

Giles nodded "That's an excellent idea Willow".

Slowly everyone nodded in agreement, even Vrook. Though he moved slower, not once letting anyone out of his sight as they collected what they could from the mercenaries left over gear, and headed for the exit.

The entire trip out of the caves Willow knew that Vrook was very unhappy with what he had witnessed in the cave. She could only hope that his mistrust came back to bite them in the ass.

**Korriban - Unknown Tomb…**

Pain flaring in his head made it hard to see clearly, or think clearly for that matter. Everywhere he looked, when his eyes focused, he could see nothing but rough carved stone. Definitely hewn by the hands of man, or something at least as intelligent.

But for the life of him, he couldn't focus on how he had gotten here. Every time he tried to remember it all came back blank, and then the pain flared again, leaving him breathless as he growled in agony.

Stumbling forward he nearly lost his balance, and collapsed against a wall to keep himself from falling entirely. His strength barely able to support him.

Resting his back against the sloped wall, he ground the palms of his hands into his head. A gasp escaping his lips from the repeating thump of pain behind his eyes.

It subsided a moment later, only for the wall to his right to grind loudly as it slid down into the floor, a large room shrouded in darkness and white smoky mist coiled across the ground just below the entrance.

He pushed himself off and clumsily stumbled into the room, pulling his lightsaber free from his belt as he moved, and thankfully keeping a firm grip on it.

"You won't need that Xander" a familiar voice called out.

"Wha.." he managed to get out before very familiar face seemed to coalesce into view.

"I…I know you" he stammered, one hand grinding into his head as another wave of pain smashed it's way through his head.

The face cleared in his vision even as the pain subsided. He realized suddenly that it had driven him to his knees.

Shayla Kracek, clad in an unfamiliar black uniform and matching set of robes knelt before him, a gentle hand cupped his face "Your almost done Xander, you just need to hold on a little longer" she smiled.

"Shayla?" he asked, shaking his head, as if it could clear the confusion away "How…Where are we?".

"You've seen glimpses of my past, of choices I made that shaped me, that shaped a Galaxy. It's your time to choose Xander" she smiled, gently caressing his cheek.

"Choices?" he asked hoarsely "What choices?".

"Xander!. Get away from her, she's a dark JedI!" hollered another familiar voice.

He spun, managing to climb to his feet even through the pain still throbbing away inside his head, the approaching form solidified, revealing the armoured form of one of his closest friends.

"Buffy!?" he gasped "What..".

Shayla stepped passed him, "I've had enough of your contempt and suspicion Buffy" she exclaimed, a crimson blade erupting to life in her hand.

Xander stumbled forward "What…Wait!" he called out.

Willow suddenly appeared next to Buffy, holding a very sharp looking sword "Xander, listen to us. We only want to protect you from her" she exclaimed, levelling hate filled eyes at Shayla.

He shook his head, and tried to push his way to stand between them "Wait…just what the hell is going on?!".

"Stay out of this witch" Shayla hissed "This is between Buffy and I".

"You have a problem with Buffy, you got a problem with me Shayla" Willow snapped back.

Another familiar voice echoed from the darkness, even as the face of Giles appeared "Listen to them Xander, we only have your best interest at heart".

"Giles….no…wait…you shouldn't be here!" he gasped out, not knowing how he knew, only that it felt right. None of them should be there.

"The three of you dare challenge me?. I've burned entire worlds!. You sorely underestimate the power of the force!" Shayla replied with barely suppressed anger.

"Xander" Buffy pleaded "She's fallen to the dark side!. Please, stand aside. Let us deal with her!".

"No…she wouldn't…." he said, even as he looked towards the blonde woman "Shayla?".

She met his eyes, and took a deep breath "I gave in Xander. They're right, I did take up the power of the dark side, I gave in to my emotions and in doing so grew stronger. All for you".

The words, and emotion tore through him like a lightsaber. He stumbled slightly even as he turned to his friends, his family "Guys…wait…we can work this out" he pleaded.

Buffy stepped forward slightly "Xander. She's evil!. She needs to be stopped!".

"No, wait….come on. No one's beyond redemption!" he turned to Willow "Wills!. Please?".

His closest friend shook her head sadly "I'm so sorry Xander. I never thought I'd see the day you'd protect something evil".

Shayla stepped forward "This isn't your fight Xander. I cannot ask you to stand against your family".

He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath "No…It's my choice. I always thought evil and good was clear cut. No middle ground…." he looked up into Shayla's eyes, noticing for the first time the sickly yellowed eyes.

"You can be saved Shayla" he blurted out, reaching out to caress her face "And I won't stop until I do".

"You stand with her, you stand against us" Buffy hissed, the pain in her voice nearly breaking his heart.

He spun, facing three of the most precious people in his life with pleading eyes "Then back down!" he hissed "Let me save her!".

All three readied their weapons "Your no better than a Sith" Giles spat.

All three rushed forward, anger and hate filling their eyes.

_

* * *

_

_**Wow, another chapter done and still the idea's are flowing. This feels awesome. **_

_**I felt it necessary to keep to Willow's POV for the Vrook encounter, mostly as I just really wanted to have her the star of the moment. I also never felt all that sold on how the overall Dantooine mission goes over in the game. Always wondered why there was never a peaceful or even semi peaceful resolution to the Mercenary/Khoonda conflict. **_

_**Don't worry though, I still have some measure of surprise in store for the gang before they leave. Willow's use of her darker impulses will definitely have consequences.**_

_**Those who have played the game will understand what happened here with Xander, I hope I sold the overall encounters well enough and kept in character for the most part. I've gone over it more than a few times and I think it works. As for the changes in the Korriban scenes, I really wanted to expand and tailor the visions for Xander while exploring the link to the Exile. **_

_**Any idea's anyone may have, by all means drop me a line.**_

_**Again, thanks to everyone who's spent time to read this, and double thanks to anyone who's left comments/reviews. **_


	11. Chapter 11

**Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.**

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon.

I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by **Michael Weyer**. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

**Dantooine - Khoonda…**

Willow returned to consciousness slowly, her head already pounding and thoughts floating around at a sluggish pace. Somehow she knew she'd over done it, her magic that was.

Opening her eyes, she choked slightly upon seeing the heavy structural damage done to the hallway just outside of Administrator Adare's office. The two doors leading to the front entrance little more than slag metal, warped and blackened in their frames.

Bodies. It was the bodies that drew her eyes however. A few Militia Volunteers, the ones that had been laid up in the medical ward. And nearly three times as many Mercenaries, easily recognizable with their heavier armour and far newer looking rifles.

And then she spotted an unfamiliar face, a lone pale dead eye stared back at her accusingly. Azkul, leader of the Mercenaries, or what was left of him. As the lower half of his body had been sheered off right above the hips.

Still on her knee's, it didn't take much to keel over and empty the contents of her stomach on the cracked and debris covered floor. At least the smell of bile masked the smell of burnt flesh and blood.

Sitting up, she pushed her long red hair back with both hands, ignoring the dirt and ash she likely streaked through it. Finding her Earpiece in the process.

Her memories were already starting to sort themselves out, bringing her up to speed on what had happened. The return to Khoonda and the brief battle planning done to protect the small community. Little more than a foot note compared to her memories of Master Vrook constantly staring at her like some kind of monster.

Not that she took part in the planning. As it had taken more than a little while to get her emotions back under control. She was always a little more emotional than most people, she accepted this. It was just part of who she was.

She knew they had prepared for the inevitable attack, repairing the defence turrets. Getting the medical droid back up and running, as well as the internal defence droids.

But what she couldn't figure out was what had gone wrong, as something obviously had. Otherwise she wouldn't be kneeling just outside the Administrator's Office, surrounded by the dead.

Looking at the door, she could see it was still intact. Apparently welded completely shut from an intense amount of heat. Or maybe it had just been damaged, either way it was still closed, which meant Giles and the Administrator should be fine.

Pushing herself to her feet, she headed for the lobby. Grasping a discarded blaster rifle from a fallen Merc. Just in case.

Stumbling through the ruined hallway, she entered the lobby itself, and almost collapsed again at the sight before her.

Bodies, everywhere she looked were bodies. Charred armour from blaster hits had killed most of them, but enough of them, right around the front entrance had obviously been shredded by someone with a light saber. Creating a corridor of bodies and parts just outside. The smell alone was almost more than she could bare.

Coughing drew her eyes towards the receptionists table, and the body of a Militia Volunteer began to stand, only to fall over a moment later. Revealing someone beneath, bloodied and grime covered as they looked around.

It took several heart beats for Willow to recognize the face, and suddenly realized she was holding the rifle aimed right at them, nearly trembling.

Graham Miller finally turned enough to see her, and she gasped upon seeing the damage to the right side of his face. Hair and skin were burnt away, leaving ugly blackened skin and oozing blood.

"Willow" he coughed, and somehow pushed himself up a bit more, only to crash to his side.

She dropped the rifle and almost launched forward, almost panicking at what she could do to help. His injuries looked pretty bad. Burns on his right leg and several blaster scores on his chest made that quite obvious.

"Oh god, Graham!" she gasped "Stay still, let me check you over!".

He waved her off, not quite able to speak, but he forced the words out anyways "No…Cari…check on Cari!" he blurted, and desperately shoved her back.

She stopped, almost afraid at what he was referring too, even as the memory started to clear. Caridad had been paired with Graham. And set to watch over the front entrance. Along with twenty defending militia.

"Cari?" she asked, her voice laced with fear.

He nodded, and finally rolled onto his back, his head propped against a section of the collapsed desk.

"Merc's…broke through. We managed to hold them here….Some pushed passed us, and more tried to join them" he explained through groggy lips "Cari…she knew we couldn't let anymore slip through…she charged the front…to plug the hole".

Willow looked back to the front entrance, seeing exactly what he was describing in her mind. She could almost see how the Merc's had stormed in, pushing Graham and Caridad back, and the few militia volunteers. Forcing them to use the desk as the only form of cover.

She could imagine how merc's, lead by Azkul had slipped passed them, taking the two side doors. Ignoring the few defenders in order to go right for the heart of the building. And she could see, so clearly in her head that Caridad had charged the main entrance, intending to keep anymore Merc's from slipping through.

It explained all the bodies.

"Musta been hit by a stray grenade" Graham continued, and reached a shaky hand into one of his pouches. Pulling a medical stim.

Willow quickly took it from him "Your in no shape Graham, let me" she whispered. And went about applying the Kolto Injection. Pain relief and tissue regeneration all in one nifty little package.

His breathing eased considerably within seconds. And a lopsided grin slipped into place "That's better" he almost chuckled.

She smiled back "Stay put, I'll check on Cari" she said, gently touching his left shoulder.

He only nodded, even as she pushed herself back to her feet and grabbed her fallen rifle. Unsure of what she would find beyond that single door.

What she saw however was nothing short of brain numbing.

No one moved, not one. Of the countless bodies that littered the field. Most obviously torn to pieces by the defence turrets that were now little more than scrap metal. And another large number having fallen to the plasma mines set up before the lone bridge and creek bed.

But the most shocking sight was the multitude of dead mercenaries that almost encircled the front of the building. As though Cari had not only tried to hold them back at the entrance, but actually waded out into a full platoon of them.

Then she spotted her, sitting with her back against the only sandbag emplacement left intact. Barely even noticeable amongst the dead, and debris littered ground.

"Cari?" she called out, her rifle at the ready just in case there were more merc's around.

The girl didn't respond, forcing Willow to surge forward. She could be unconscious.

What she found however shattered that instantly.

Her eyes were wide open, staring out across the hillside that circled the small community. Blood caked hair was matted down to her face. Her lightsaber sitting in her lap, as though she'd simply stopped to take a breather, and was staring up at the sky in contemplation.

Only those eyes were now lifeless. She had given her life for a community of farmers she didn't even know.

The wounds that covered her armoured body were clear enough. She'd taken more than enough to kill most men, and maybe even a few demons. But it was obvious she hadn't fallen. She had secured the area, and only then did she stop.

To Willow it was as though the young Slayer had decided to simply sit down and rest for a bit.

Only she wouldn't be getting up, not this time.

She didn't even realize she had collapsed to her knee's, stunned at seeing someone so young cut down in some pointless battle.

Someone she knew, and cared for.

The urge to cry out was almost overwhelming, to wail at the injustice. Find someone to pay for this. But she had nothing left to give. Seeing so much death had taken it's toll. She was at least aware of that.

No, what really kept her from losing what little control she had left, was the peaceful look in the eyes of Caridad. Lifeless, but not dead. The contrast was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

And that was how she was sitting, when the others found her only a few minutes later. Staring at the peaceful gaze of someone they would never hear laughing again. Never join in on amusing pranks with Shannon, or practise with Graham and Riley at the Flight simulator.

Never do her odd little dance when she found something amusing.

It was Shannon who approached her first, kneeling beside her, appearing almost as shocked at seeing her best friend. But unlike Willow, she knew all too well what a Slayers life was like.

Seeing that pained resignation in the brunettes eyes drew Willow from her own thoughts, now wasn't the time to mourn. Others needed her now. She needed to be the strong one. At least for Shannon, if for no one else.

"Shan?" she called out, reaching out to pull the slayer a little closer.

Shannon didn't fight, and allowed Willow to pull her in just a little bit. Her eyes already filling with tears, only she didn't actually cry out, not once.

"She always wanted to go out in style" the eighteen year old whispered.

Willow had nothing to say to that, even as the young woman rested her head down on her shoulder. And let out a long pain filled sigh.

The next few hours passed quickly, for Willow it felt like she was left in a fog. Simply watching as the survivors went about the immediate task of cleaning up. First finding the wounded, and then clearing and identifying the dead.

At least the ones that could be.

Shannon, she knew had taken charge of Caridad's body. And knowing the young woman hadn't left her alone even once.

Even as unfocused as she felt, Willow helped out where she could. Tending to the wounded mostly, as she didn't feel comfortable using her magic at the moment, she needed time to meditate first. Her emotions would only make the flow of the planets energy unpredictable.

Through the entire day, the battle came back to her in small snippets of memory. And the fallout afterwards, she never saw any member of their little group together.

Shayla spent most of her time talking with the Administrator and Master Vrook, periodically breaking away to help with something elsewhere.

Giles spent a lot of time with the clean up crews, along with volunteer's from the surrounding farms. Some people even came in from up to a hundred miles away to help.

Riley and Graham probably spent the most time together, as they'd both been wounded. Riley having taken a few nasty blaster shots while defending the rear of the compound. He'd be fine in a few days however.

Graham on the other hand would need a little more time, since he'd lost his right eye, and the scarring of his face, right arm and shoulder was as bad as it could possibly be. He'd require at least a week of regular medical care. Probably more, due to the muscle damage. Plus several weeks of physical-therapy as well.

It was close to midnight, or midnight for Dantooine at least, before she returned to the Ebon Hawk. And headed straight for the showers, after grabbing a simple robe and what limited personal hygiene products they managed to scrounge up.

She didn't take long, focusing on scrubbing all the blood and grime that she couldn't clear off earlier. Though her hair slowed down the process, as it was a rats-nest thanks to the sweat and blood that still clung to it.

Seeing the water vanish down the drain, a bright red at first which diluted to a soft pink within minutes always shocked her. Nearly nine years of fighting beside Buffy. Fighting the good fight, meant that she'd had plenty of blood that would need washing off.

She never got use to it. And that was a good thing, at least for her. She didn't want all the death and loss to stop affecting her. Three years ago she learnt exactly what happens when one gives up, or gives in.

She had no intention of giving into that overriding sense of loss again.

Quickly drying off, she wrapped the robe around herself and headed for the room she shared with Shayla and the girls.

Sorry, only one girl now.

Willow took a deep breath at that thought, and forced herself to remain calm, at least for the time being. They'd have time to mourn later, assuming they could stop the Sith.

The guys had moved into the other bunk, which left Visas to bunk in the cargo room. Not a bad arrangement really.

But right now, she was desperately missing Buffy, Xander and Dawn. Her family.

Reaching her room, she stopped upon seeing Shayla. Already clean and wearing a simple set of white robes. Meditating quietly in the center of the room.

Where she managed to find a shower baffled her for a moment, but she ignored it and headed for the bag she brought with her from home. Containing everything she brought with her, mostly the military fatigues the Council reluctantly adopted for field missions. But she did bring a few personal articles of clothing.

Which was what she pulled out, desperately wanting a connection to something a little familiar. She hugged the Scooby-Do Pyjama's tightly for a moment, and then slipped them on quietly, not wanting to disturb the thirty something blonde JedI Exile.

She turned and stared at the woman for nearly a minute, a battle of thoughts and desires fought briefly within her, but finally she succumbed and settled in across from the young woman. And started the breathing exercises that would bring her closer to her core self. Her center.

So much had happened in only an hour. Lives had been changed irrevocably. But she could also feel the threads of power. Stretching out beyond the confines of this one single planet. And she allowed herself a little bit of comfort. Knowing that they had made a difference today. Not just in the lives of just one world, but an entire Galaxy.

**Korriban - Unknown Tomb…**

Xander stared at the fallen bodies in a mixture of fear and hate. Self-loathing really. Knowing that he was the one to strike them down.

Two things happened next. The bodies vanished, as though they were never their. And a sudden realization slapped him across the metaphorical face.

Violet blade still ignited, he started to chuckle. Even as his two unlikely companions moved further into the room. Having witnessed the entire spectacle. For the three seconds it lasted.

"This isn't a prison" he spoke quietly, turning towards the two women standing by the door "Or a tomb, this is a test".

Mission Vao unconsciously moved a little ways from Bastila. But her eyes were entirely focused on him. The hate and fear almost constantly flashing in those yellowed eyes seemed dimmer at the moment.

"A test?" she whispered, and looked around warily "I hate tests…I always forget to study".

Bastila too stepped closer, eyeing the small Twi'lek with equal amounts of concern and caution.

"I believe you are right" she frowned "I recognize much of what we have seen…first you recognized Shayla Kracek, the Exile. And then the Mandalorians. Which I could only assume was her time within the jungles of Dxun".

"I also had a strange vision of what happened at Malachor Five" he added "That wasn't fun".

Bastila's eyes widened slightly "I imagine not".

"What kind of test is this?" Mission interrupted "I like killing professors".

Bastila smirked at that, why exactly Xander could only guess.

"It's not that kind of test Mission" she replied quietly, then turned back to Xander "The images, and situations we've seen. Are all about the past, specifically Shayla's past".

"Except this one" Xander cut in, waving his weapon out across the room "This wasn't a past event. My friends and I never fought like this…and Shayla, she never fell to the Dark Side".

Mission started giggling, which wasn't as creepy as it was before "You break it, you buy it!" she exclaimed.

Xander looked to Bastila for any kind of help, but she appeared just as confused as he felt. Mission herself finally sighed, seeing no understanding in their faces.

"Duh!. Consequences!" she exclaimed in a near screech "Not that I really care about such things. But think about it, this Shayla joined Malak and Revan. Lead battles on Dxun and Malachor, we know both battles had drastic consequences on the course of the war".

Bastila blinked in understanding "And this…this situation where you fought in the defence of Shayla. Against your own friends…".

"Choices" Xander finally spoke, and knew the word was right. Something within him just knew that this wasn't just about consequences, but the choices that created them.

"A test…a lesson. Choices and consequences" he sighed, feeling suddenly very tired "But why?".

Mission pointed at the door behind him "Maybe the professors answer sheet's in there?" she smiled, flashing those shiny chrome teeth.

"She's right Xander" Bastila spoke up "We need more clue's, and they might be in there".

He nodded and stalked towards the door, unsurprised to find it swish open on it's own. Only to stop upon seeing a single figure kneeling within.

Stylized robes covered the figure, who was facing away from them. Kneeling or praying maybe before a Pyramid like Tomb. Three more doors filled the walls. Possible routes out maybe.

But it was gasps of shock from his two companions that told him something definitely wasn't right.

"It can't be" Bastila whispered.

He glanced to them, and spotted the shock in Bastila's eyes. But it was the nearly brutal rage that was filling Missions eyes that had him suddenly worried.

The figure stood, drawing his attention. And turned to reveal a strange visage. Masked with lots of leather and buckles. Hell, whoever this was looked down right nasty.

Definitely the kind of outfit he'd chose if he was a Sith Lord.

"Revan…" Bastila whispered.

Xander blinked "Tell me your joking?".

The masked Dark Lord stepped forward, saying nothing as he pulled two lightsabers from his belt. Twin long beams of crimson light sprung forth. Long blades, a good foot longer than any other saber he'd seen yet.

"Oh…this can't be good" Xander muttered quietly.

"DIE!" echoed off the walls, nearly deafening him, as Mission dived forward. Her own bright blue weapon leading the way.

"Mission no!" Bastila yelled, too late to stop the girl.

"Shit" Xander grunted and dived forth as well. Illusion or real, this was the missing Dark Lord responsible for so much death and destruction that he needed to be brought down.

Mission lead with a brutal thrust, only to find her weapon parried and removed from her possession, it clattered across the floor even as the Dark Lord simply nodded, and sent her flying off to the side. She hit the far wall hard, and collapsed to the stone floor. Unmoving.

Xander progressed with far more awareness of the situation. Knowing that to lose control of his emotions or awareness he'd lose quickly.

Words not his own filtered through his mind as he approached the dark lord, just as they did every time he entered battle. Only this time he knew the strange buzz for what it was. And could recognize what was being whispered.

_Soresu, the eye of the storm. _A distant voice echoed, a sliver of memory he'd gleaned from his link with Shayla.

Revan didn't hesitate, wordlessly moving in with both blades. Which Xander easily deflected, his single blade moving impossibly fast around his body as he met the Dark Lord head on. Gaining no ground, but neither did he give any.

The Dark Lord kept at it however, his strikes precise and filled with rage. It was almost palpable in the air, the hate, rage and need to kill.

He didn't give in however, feeling his concentration focusing to levels he had never achieved before. All of his exhaustion and frustration seemed to almost bleed away as he slipped further and further within himself. Turning what little strength he had towards defence. And found it almost easy.

The battle seemed to almost slow down before his eyes, and he started noticing subtle movements within the dark lord he faced. Recognizing when a strike would come, before it landed. How he held the pommels of both weapons, how his knee's were bent. It all processed at once, and he knew that he could win.

By simply waiting.

_Time has no meaning, focus on the center and let your opponent batter themselves against the storm that surrounds you. See everything from within the eye, and you will know when to strike._

_

* * *

_

Bastila witnessed Missions pointless attack, and her flight across the room. And instinctively raised her own weapon to join the man she once loved in battle, only to see Xander reach him first.

She hesitated, feeling suddenly torn between the battle and the unmoving child she once considered a little sister.

Heartbeats later, she found herself kneeling beside the unconscious form of Mission Vao. Her eyes moving rapidly beneath her lids. She stretched out with her feelings, and knew she'd be fine. Though she'd likely wake up with a bit of a headache.

Turning to see how Xander was doing, she hesitated a second time. Her jaw dropping in awe at what she saw only a few meters away.

Revan was hammering away with the same intense fury he always employed. Even when he believed he was someone else. Jar-kai, the dual bladed style he had easily mastered, as both Revan and his counterpart persona. With heavy influences from Juyo, a style that focused largely on offensive attacks.

And as she could remember with such ease, Revan made it look easy. Unpredictable, yet with a savage grace few could achieve.

But it was Xander that had her attention, his face a mask of calm acceptance even as he stood before the Dark Lord. Completely opposite of the man he faced, employing Soresu with a degree of skill that was not only shocking, but just as enchanting.

Every strike levelled at him was deflected or easily avoided, spinning and weaving with a grace that she would never have attributed to the physically larger man.

And then everything changed, somehow Xander spotted an opening which he took advantage of without hesitation. Calling upon a commonly employed acrobatic twisting leap common to Ataru. And landed behind the dark lord.

His Violet blade seemed to spin around the masked Sith's head, as if floating all on it's own even as he touched the ground.

And Revan promptly vanished, as though he never was.

Xander turned towards them without a seconds hesitation, only to stop. A strange look flashing across his face.

His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he pitched forward. Smashing to the ground face first.

**Class M Freighter - Hyperspace en-route to **_**Nar Shaddaa…**_

Buffy tossed in the bunk, trying to get comfortable. She knew that it wasn't the mattresses fault, so why was she finding it so hard to even take a nap?.

With an irritated growl she tossed the thin blanket away, and quickly dressed. Choosing the loose fitting combat fatigues provided by Riley. She had to admit, they were comfortable, especially the boots.

With that done she headed for the common area, and paused as she stepped onto the grid-like walkway that connected the berthing compartments to the common area, allowing a clear view of the cargo bay below.

Where her sister and the new guy. Mical. Were once again sparing, two short red blades versus emerald green. And jut seeing those bright weapons had her rubbing the spots that still felt sore, compliments of her sister during their last session.

And again she was blown away by the skill her eighteen year old sister was displaying. At the moment she was standing almost still, her two weapons weaving in a complicated pattern all around her. Like a shield of crimson energy. Not a single strike from Mical could penetrate.

The man pressed his assault for a few more seconds before backing off, stopping only a few feet away, his sword aimed down at an angle one handed. Almost like a fencer.

"Impressive, you have an excellent grasp of Soresu, but i sense your concentration is lacking. To use the third form effectively you must remain in complete control, and retain complete concentration" he explained.

Dawn nodded "I know, i can feel the strain of focusing so completely. But the harder i try, the more difficult it is to concentrate".

Mical relaxed his stance "You have the instincts, and the skill. Perhaps you are relying on your other senses too much".

"How?" Dawn asked.

Mical smiled "A test" he replied, and moved to the far wall. Taking a flight helmet from one of the crates they had move on board "Put this on" he ordered and moved back to position.

Dawn stared at it "Huh?".

"Put it on" he repeated.

Bufy smirked as she stared down at the odd appearance of her younger sister, dressed in the same combat fatigues and wearing a rather bulky flight helmet.

"Drop the blast guard" he continued.

Buffy's smile vanished. This didn't sound good.

Dawn hesitated for a second, but said nothing. Following the order and dropped the blast shield.

Mical didn't wait, he surged forward "Shii-Cho!" he called out as he attacked.

To Buffy's eyes, her sister seemed to move far more smoothly, as though she knew where Mical was at all times. There was no hesitation in any of her movements, though simple this time around compared to the last form she was using.

Mical himself was still using the same form. Moving with an elegance that only added to the man's natural good looks.

"Makashi!" he called out after a few minutes.

Before her eyes, Dawn deactivated one of her blades, and smoothly moved into an identical style as Mical's. Reminiscent of how Giles wielded his favoured weapon, the Rapier.

The single short blade intercepting every strike he sent her way, and followed up with strikes of her own. Back and forth they sparred, taking and giving ground.

"Soresu Single Blade!" Mical hollered after spinning away from a chest level wide slash.

Dawn again became the center of a crimson shield of energy, and this time moved far more smoothly. As if she truly was the center of a storm. The short red blade intercepted every strike, and Buffy could see the strain forming on Mical's face.

Buffy suddenly realised she couldn't see where Dawn had hidden the second blade, it didn't matter however as Mical barked again.

"Ataru!".

Buffy flashed back to the fight where they had met the blonde Jedi Padawan. As Dawn rolled forward, and then leapt into the air, literally appearing every bit a monkey as she moved around the room. Bouncing off the walls, rolling over crates, flipping over Mical. And all the while her weapon lashed out every time she was within striking distance.

The strain on Mical's face was increasing, but she could see the determination in his eyes. He was getting as much practise from this as Dawn was it seemed.

"Free form!" he called out.

Dawn instantly ceased her monkey like manoeuvres, and moved to a new style. To Buffy it looked similar to Soresu, her blade moving close to her body, ready to intercept any strike levelled her way, yet loose enough to launch her own devastating attacks. As Mical discovered only a second later.

Mical was able to hold her off for a few moments, attacking fluidly. But Dawn instantly turned his attack back on him, every strike to be exact.

He would thrust and Dawn would deflect it just enough to avoid being hit even as she led in with her own slash. Mical would slash and Dawn again deflected and followed with a thrust.

Mical switched this time, moving into the form he identified as Soresu, and though not as focused as dawn, his defence was enough to halt her sisters obvious domination in the sparring match.

Buffy could see the young man almost regain some measure of strength within seconds, and then surged forward in the same form Dawn was using.

Dawn somehow knew he had changed tactics, and moved right along with it. Her second blade apearing in her hand, the crimson blade held in a back handed grip, as she met his renewed assault head on.

Not once could Buffy see any fault or weakness in her sisters attacks or defences. She realized with a heavy heart that her little sister didn't need her to protect her anymore, she was more than capable of protecting herself.

Another minute passed before the two parted, an unspoken agreement to cease the match. Dawn pulled the helmet from her head awkwardly, as she was holding two weapons "Wow, that was intense!".

Mical, breathing quite heavily nodded "Truly, in all my years, i have never seen such skill. Not from anyone so young...no offence".

Dawn nodded "None taken. Wow...i know we've gone over the different styles already, but I didn't really know them, if you get my meaning. But when you called them out, i just reacted. Like they were always there".

"Really?. Remarkable. Your connection to Shayla has imparted quite a bit of knowledge it would seem" he said, more to himself "Your skill at first was adequate, but you were distracted. As many experience upon first learning how to wield a Lightsaber".

"The helmet?" Dawn asked.

He nodded "A training tool used by many Knights when training their Padawans".

"What was that last form?. It felt the most natural for me" she asked.

"The sixth form, of seven official forms. It is called Niman, also known as _The way of the Rancor_, or the Diplomats Form. Originally developed for dual blade combat. However, it is just as effective with a single blade" he explained as he moved to a nearby crate.

"So what about using two weapons with the other forms?" she asked, moving to join him.

"Jar'Kai. A form developed a very long time ago, though it is more commonly used to describe the use of two blades in any capacity" he replied "You however have an inherently advanced grasp of both. Remarkable really".

"Two blades just seems more natural, i can't explain it" Dawn mused "Which means i need to practise with a single blade more".

Mical nodded "A good idea, more than a few Jedi i use to know chose Jar'Kai to add to their preferred styles, which left them somewhat weaker if forced to fight with a single weapon. Devoting time to a specific style is commendable, and i can see you becoming a master in a very short period of time, with enough practise and determination. However, every form has at least one weakness".

Buffy chose that moment to slip away, the show was over. And as much as she felt proud of her sister, she couldn't keep watching.

Partly guilty at feeling jealous, and a little unnecessary, but mostly worried at how their relationship would develop now. Would they drift apart now that Dawn didn't need anyone to watch over her?. She hoped not, but the fear was still there all the same.

**Korriban - Ridgeline above the Valley of the Dark Lords…**

Jon slipped as quietly as he could into position, and checked the scope on his modified MP5. Spying the group of Sith troops currently situated on the ridge right above the cave Xander had been trapped within.

From what he could make out, they were preparing to start blasting. No doubt hoping to either send down troops to find their target, or lure him out so the numerous troops up above could cut him down with ease.

"This doesn't look good" he frowned.

Two more people joined him, Faith and Bao'Dur. Each sliding up the slope on their bellies and checked out the sight for themselves using the advanced optics visors they were wearing.

"Stating the obvious O'Neill" Faith whispered "You got a plan yet?".

He didn't respond immediately, as his mind was already going over the scene down below. And the years of training and experience he inherited from the other O'Neill analyzed everything.

"They're either going to go after him, which I think is absolutely stupid. Or they're going to try and lure him out" he replied "Only option we have right now, is set up to provide fire support".

"We've got the high ground" Bao'Dur agreed "This whole ridge will give us a good line of sight on every one of those Hutt-Spawns".

"Guys, I'm not so good with guns" Faith added quietly.

Jon passed his MP5 over "It's set for heavy stun".

"Right, this box-like thingy on the front" she nodded as she took the weapon.

Jon just nodded as he pulled his salvaged Blaster Rifle from his back, and checked the power pack before checking his sights. Frowning only a little at the feel of the weapon.

"You really should let me take a look at that when were off this ball of dust" Bao'Dur smiled "A device like that could be adapted for so many different weapons".

"Classified Earth Tech Bao'Dur" he replied, adding a wink a moment later "But if your good, I might be convinced to let you take a gander".

"How good is good?" the Zabrak Engineer asked, even as he readied his own weapon.

Jon let a smile slide into place "Rack up a larger body count than me".

"Deal" he chuckled.

Jon nodded and glanced up and down the ridge "Alright, our best bet is to spread out, just in case they get a good lock on our position. Five meter spread should do it".

Faith nudged him as she slipped away "Good luck boys".

Jon didn't reply, he just watched his two comrades slip away. And found himself once again praying that they all made it out of this one alive.

* * *

Commander Dor'Trandel watched with barely restrained anticipation as his troopers finished with the last of the explosives. To the Rutian Twi'lek who had served with the engineering corp back in the last war, nothing was as enjoyable as a good explosion.

A young human female clad in the familiar white armour of the rank and file troopers, broke away from the engineers who were setting up the det-packs. Quickly crossing the rough and rocky terrain as she made her way towards his command tent.

At about ten feet she pulled her helmet free, letting her short red hair free. He noted absently that she was quite stunning really, well, for a human.

"Commander" she huffed, slightly out of breath from the fifty meter jog. Unsurprising really considering the weight of the armour, her heavy blaster rifle and support gear.

"Trooper" he nodded.

"Engineers are almost ready" she quickly reported.

Dor'Trandel raised a single hairless brow, of course their almost ready he thought. Why else would a young trooper be sent to report to him. He took a deep breath, nodding as she stood there, no doubt waiting for his orders.

"You're the ranking trooper correct?" he asked, reaching for his chilled glass of Juma Juice.

"Yes sir, Corporal Vilana.." she began to speak, only to be cut off.

"As soon as the way is clear, you will take you squad and establish a perimeter below. Do not stray from the immediate area. The Assassins will move in after you and begin search and retrieval. The target is definitely a JedI from the holorecordings we retrieved from the Academy, you wouldn't last two seconds" he ordered, then took a tiny sip of his beverage.

She nodded and slipped her helmet back on, and quickly moved to rejoin her squad. The nine other members of which didn't hesitate to prepare the zip-line attachments that came with the belt harness.

His eyes drifted to the ten remaining Assassins that stood perfectly still on the opposite side of the area. Each was in perfect parade rest, right hand behind the back and left hand resting on the hilt of their _Tremor Swords_.

The new breed of Sith Soldier, silent to a degree unmatched by any special operatives he had ever served with under Revan or Malak. Relentless and not once had he ever heard of one complaining.

He'd never even heard of one speaking unless spoken to first. If he was to be absolutely honest, they terrified him. And he knew he wasn't the only one.

And their numbers seemed to be growing. Lord Sion was now surrounded by them, choosing the silent and efficient assassins over the rank and file soldiers.

Movement from the troopers drew his eyes, the shortest of the assembled squad, Corporal Vil…something. Tapped her helmet, he nodded and slipped the head-set on. Safe up above he could at least keep some measure of control over the personnel heading below ground.

_Second squad sound check._

"You sound fine corporal. Remember your orders, secure and wait for the Assassins" he reminded her.

_Copy that Commander. Alright troop!, You heard the order, on my go, we drop in, set a fifteen foot perimeter and let the ghosts do their thing. Am I clear?._

Nine voices echoed an affirmative. Shortly after the engineering team signalled the all clear, hightailing it back towards the Armoured ATV parked not far off from his command tent.

Dor'Trandel sipped his juice as he waited. A slow smile stretched across his face as one of the engineers voiced a countdown. His heartbeat accelerating as it neared zero.

A dull and muffled _THWUMP _shook the ground, he could feel it through his boots. The explosives weren't flashy, or very loud. The mark of a professional however he knew, as the a tiny flash of light accompanied the sound, quickly followed by rising dirt and dust.

_That's our cue!. Go. Go. Go._ The young female Corporal echoed over the comm's.

He could barely see the dull white armoured Troopers vanish into the dust, then nothing. He couldn't even see the Assassins now, the deluge of dust that still hung in the air was enough to blot out any view of the opposite side of the area where they stood earlier.

He smiled as the Corporal's voice echoed over the Comm's a few seconds later.

_Commander, perimeter established. Ghosts are down and fading._

He took another sip of his juice, frowning slightly as he realized the cup was empty. He absently waved for his aide to refill his cup even as he activated his comm's "Good Job Corporal, keep the perimeter until further notice".

_Yes sir…wait…Carrik you seeing this?._

Dor'Trandel sat a little straighter in his chair, even as the woman spoke.

_Commander, we've got movement. Correction we've got lightsabers!. Troop, pin them down!._

Even from his post, a good distance from the improvised hole, the zing of Blasters erupting could easily be heard. Dor'Trandel absently pulled his own blaster pistol free from it's holster, knowing all too well what would happen if the enemy were to escape.

It was over in less than five seconds.

Five entire seconds. Was there an army down there?.

He stood and kicked his small portable table over, sending the refilled cup of juma juice spilling to the ground "All personnel on me!" he bellowed. And not a moment too soon, as three glowing streaks of light appeared within the settling dust.

Violet, Blue and Red.

Only three. How could they have carved there way through ten Assassins and ten Troopers so quickly?.

"Fire on my mark!" he hissed, just as the twelve man Engineering squad and his young Rodian Aide formed up around him.

His order to fire was never formally issued however, as a jumpy young human engineer pulled the trigger on his rifle only a second later. The entire area quickly filled with the bright red bolts of Blaster fire.

**Well, over a year since my last update. Damn do I feel like a boob for not keeping up with this one. Again my sincerest apologies to all who've been reading and looking forward to it's continuation. Even I will admit that a year between updates is rather ridiculous.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Knights of the Old Republic II: Sith Lords - Volume 3: The Enclaves.**

Knights of the old Republic and Starwars are owned by George Lucas (I think he owns them both).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss Whedon.

I own nothing here. As said by many wise men..and women…please don't sue me.

The timeline for Buffy takes place about three years after the end of Buffy. No exact date has been decided. KOTOR 2 timeline starts right from the beginning of the game. I apologize now for my lack of grammar etc, etc. I've never posted anything I've written until now. This bug has been floating in my skull since I first read Slayers of the old republic by **Michael Weyer**. It definitely fed my imagination. Thanks Michael. Anyways on with the show. Please comment. It won't get better in quality or quantity without constructive criticism.

**Dantooine- Khoonda Settlement…**

Shayla Kracek, one time JedI Padawan, and former Republic General, stood quietly near the entrance to the large building that served as the heart of Khoonda's Government. The same building that only a day ago had seen brutal combat. Where dozen's of men and women had fought, and died.

As battles went, it had been bloody, and devastating. A minor skirmish compared to some of the battles she'd participated in back during the Mandalorian War. But then every battle, no matter how small, always left a mark on those who survived.

For the people of Khoonda, yesterday wouldn't be forgotten, not anytime soon. As the list of the dead had cost nearly everyone of those who survived. A friend or family member was gone, never to be heard talking or laughing again.

For her new friends, the battle had been just as bad. With one of they're own having given her life. And another so badly injured that he couldn't risk joining them any further.

She hadn't gotten to know Caridad all that well, she'd only known her for a few days. But in that time, she'd gotten to know just how vibrant and full of life she was. The constant smiles, and never ending need to make others laugh.

Her sacrifice to protect the people of Khoonda was as noble as any that she could remember. And could only hope that her death would be remembered for some time to come.

The sound of a bell echoed through the air, silencing the hundred or so people that milled about the now cleaned up front field. No more sandbags marred the one time battlefield, no more bodies lay scattered everywhere. Just the scorch marks from detonating mines, and blaster scoring on the ground and walls of the building behind her.

All eyes turned to the front, just as Administrator Adare stepped out from the main doors. Stopped for only a moment, to take in the sight of everyone standing out in the field. Then moved forward to the podium erected for this specific gathering.

No one spoke, it was far too solemn an occasion for that. And even Master Vrook, standing off to the side, in the shadows of the single tree that hadn't been damaged in the battle looked on with respect for the silence. Reminding her that the venerable Master was still human, regardless of his words and actions.

"Yesterday we all faced a threat to our way of life. A threat to our homes and our families" Adare began, drawing Shayla's attention instantly.

"Yet together we faced that threat, and together we prevailed. But it has not been without terrible loss" she continued, not once looking down to the data pad before her.

"We have all lost someone, a friend, a mother, a father, a brother, a sister. Unique lives that can never be replaced. Leaving us only memories. But for all the memories we may have of those no longer with us, one memory can be shared by everyone. And that is the memory of their sacrifice. For all of us, and for Khoonda" she continued, her voice growing stronger and louder.

"We will never forget those who gave their lives so we may live. They are gone, but never forgotten" she spoke quietly, and bowed her head.

Shayla bowed her head as well, a silent moment to reflect on what they fought for. On what they lost.

The Administrator silently stepped back, and then moved forward, no doubt to greet and speak with the people who looked to her for guidance and leadership.

"It is time we spoke Ex…Shayla" Vrook spoke quietly as he moved to stand next to her "There is much yet that needs to be dealt with, this claim of your friend willow, that the Sith are out there, tracking you specifically for one".

She inhaled slowly, feeling only a tiny hint of annoyance. This was a solemn occasion, not the best place for such talk. But then she also knew just how much of a threat the Sith posed, and not just to Khoonda, but to the entire Republic.

"What exactly is there to say Master Vrook, the Sith are out there. And their hunting anyone they think to be JedI" she replied softly.

"JedI" he huffed "You are no JedI".

She finally looked to the right, and met his gaze "No, your right, I'm no JedI. At least not what the JedI use to be".

"Meaning what exactly?" he asked, clearly sensing the insinuation in her statement.

"Nothing" she sighed "My problems with the Order are mine to deal with, and we have bigger problems as it is".

"Your friend, she claimed that you've regained your sensitivity to the Force" he said a few moments later "Is this true?".

She looked at him critically "You're the Master, what do you think?".

"As wilful and disrespectful as ever I see" he snorted "But I'll humour you".

She just stared at him as he closed his eyes, and breathed in deeply, then exhaled just as slowly. Only for his eyes to snap open, showing surprise, and shock.

"This…how…" he stammered.

"The will of the Force perhaps?" she smirked.

"This shouldn't be possible, when you came before us after the war. All we could sense…no, this cannot be possible…yet it is, I can sense the Force, within you" he exclaimed, stunned and confused.

"And that's why I'm being hunted, as are my friends" she replied.

"And where are these friends of yours?" he asked.

"Xander is searching out Master Vash on Korriban, and Dawn left the day before yesterday to seek out Master Zez Kai-Ell on Nar Shadaa" she explained "And now that were done here, we'll be heading for Onderon, to seek out Master Kavar".

"And assuming you find them all, what then?" he asked.

Shayla stood tall, and looked down at the slightly shorter Master "And then, we call a council, and figure out just how we're going to stop this threat".

He didn't look convinced, not one bit "We tried that before. Master Vandar called a conclave on the world of Katarr. One hundred JedI attended, and not one of them survived. Not even the native Mira-luka who lived there".

"Yes, I know" she nodded "The difference this time, is they've come out of the shadows. They're actively hunting me and the others down. We know who the enemy is, and we know they want us dead. That's the key, we draw them out, and then deal with them".

Vrook appeared to seriously think about it, and nodded a few moments later "Perhaps it is time to come out of hiding. Assuming your friends can find the other masters. We will hold a conclave here, and together we will face this enemy".

"And what about you?" she asked "What will you do while we scour the galaxy for the few JedI who still live?".

"I'll be helping to rebuild what was destroyed here" he replied, turning to gaze out at the field full of people assembled for the memorial "Dantooine has seen far too much loss in the last few years. Once we JedI were a force for peace, justice and compassion. In that memory, I will stay and do what I can for these people. It is the least I can do".

With that said, he bowed lightly, and walked away. Leaving her alone with her thoughts. And most of those, were mostly echoing questions that had been plaguing her since Peragus. Since she first met Dawn and Xander.

"Please be safe" she whispered at the thought of her two friends. And then moved towards the edge of the gathering, and the path that lead back to the Ebon hawk.

**Korriban- Valley of the Dark Lords…**

Faith took the lead as the three of them slipped down the narrow and steep path, the only one that lead down to where they had spotted Xander heading, after dealing with the troops that had been left behind to track him down.

And as much as she wanted to believe that her haste was entirely due to just making sure he was okay, and not merely alive. She had to admit that she was curious about the two unknowns he'd popped out of the hole with.

Reaching the valley itself, she slowed just enough for Jon and Bao'Dur to catch up, and together headed across the ruined Valley. Trying desperately to ignore the huge menacing statues and carvings that dominated the valley walls.

It didn't take long for the man himself to appear, having headed off towards the old Academy. And down the path they'd first gotten separated on. Still with the two dark clad individuals who'd handled lightsabers just as efficiently as he had in the short battle she'd witnessed.

Her nervousness grew the closer the two groups got, and she found her grip tightening upon the rifle she still carried, as at least one of them was instantly familiar to her.

"Boytoy" she nodded as they moved close enough to be heard "Picked up some stragglers?".

Xander looked like pure crap, and possibly more exhausted than she could ever remember seeing him. But the lopsided smile on his face was the same, and instantly made her feel just a little better.

"You could say that" he chuckled "Assuming of course we don't try and kill each other now that were out".

It wasn't hard to know the comment was meant for his two new companions, as the two women stepped away from him slightly.

"Xander, I'm tired, dirty and really sick of this planet. If your about to have it out with these two young ladies, I'll be waiting on the ship" Jon snorted, and started to walk away. Much to the surprise of the two women looking very nervous.

Faith chuckled, and noted Bao'Dur glancing back and forth, either in confusion or debate as to whether or not he should walk away as well.

"Go on B-D, I'll stick around and referee" she smiled.

"If your sure?" the Zabrak asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Besides, if no ones watching he'll proly use all the hot water" she snorted. Then turned back to the tension filled trio.

Xander had moved forward, his back still to the two women. And a contemplative look on his face "If this goes bad, let me handle it alright?".

Faith sighed, seeing that he really was serious "Alright, but if you get killed, I'm gonna laugh".

He smiled just a little and turned to face the two women "So, what's it going to be ladies. We going to finish what was started down below, or continue this truce?".

Bastila Shan alternated suspicious glares between him and the rather scarred Twi'lek woman. Who in turn was smiling as though amused by some unknown joke. Her eyes half closed and arms crossed as if what was being said didn't concern her.

"Why did you come here in the first place Xander?" Bastila asked.

"To find Master Lonna Vash" he replied without hesitation.

"Why would a JedI Master come here?" she asked, honestly curious.

The twi'lek started laughing, or giggling really. A sound that instantly reminded Faith of someone not all quite there.

"Oh Baz, you poor thing" she cooed "You never stopped to check the news while wandering the void did you?".

Bastila sighed as she looked away "No, you could say I haven't kept up on current affairs".

"The JedI are all but gone Bastila" Xander cut in "Someone's been hunting them down, using force sensitive assassins. The few Masters that are left went to ground, we're trying to find them".

"You shouldn't even be here!" the Twi'lek hissed angrily "The exile was suppose to handle this, all by her lonesome, but then you and your friends had to pop up out of the Laigrek Hole and stir everything up!".

"Mission, what are you talking about?" Bastila asked, worried and curious all at once.

"My Master saw the complete picture, he's really good at puzzles you know" she replied, smiling again, as though her rage never happened "The three shadows would have been banished, and my Master would never have gotten involved. Had **he** never come!".

Xander appeared confused, but then Faith felt confused, so it wasn't a surprise. Bastila however seemed to understand. At least the look on her face seemed to indicate it.

"You were sent to kill him" Bastila said quietly "To take him out of the equation, so your Master could sense the future…Xander and the others created ripples that disrupted his sight, didn't they?".

Mission rolled her eyes, reminding Faith of an annoyed child "Duh!. I just said that!…Didn't I?".

Now she was the one who looked confused. And Faith took a tiny step closer to Xander, as the Twi'lek definitely seemed far from entirely sane.

"Mission, who's your Master?" Xander asked.

The girl locked eyes on his one good one "He's my lying Father, he who has no name. Born from a vat of lies and deceit".

"You don't know his name?" Bastila asked.

"I never asked" Mission shrugged.

Xander looked to Bastila, then back to Mission "Okay, let me get this straight, your Master sent you to kill me, which is somehow suppose to help Shayla stop the Sith from destroying the JedI…this doesn't really make any sense".

"I'm in full agreement" Bastila sighed.

Mission just shrugged "We mere worms weren't meant to understand, at least that's what I was told. The Father sees all and knows all, at least that's what the shadows whisper in my ear".

"Okaaay" Faith cut in "So, what now?".

Xander looked over his shoulder at her "That's a good question".

He then turned to Bastila and Mission "You still have your mission…Mission. What's it gonna be?".

"I'd like to kill you" she smiled malevolently "But he told me you were someone else, so I guess killing you under the circumstances would be wrong".

Xander snorted in amusement "Killing me would be wrong?".

"Under the circumstances" she nodded "I would gladly kill you for any number of reasons, actually I'd kill you for no reason. I like killing for no reason. Just a random murder, it makes the shadows sing really pretty songs….but, he lied to me. I don't like liars, or Politicians. Or Lying Politicians. Or clowns, and …".

"I think we get the point Mission" Bastila cut her off "The question itself still stands however, do you wish to kill Xander?".

The Twi'lek tilted her head slightly, and looked up at the sky, once again reminding Faith of a kid, trying to think really hard. But the expression passed only a second later.

"Nope" she chirped happily "I'll go find me some liars to kill, later kiddies!".

With that she spun and walked back the way the group came, humming an unidentified tune under her breath. As though she was taking a leisurely stroll through a park.

No one spoke until the twisted woman had vanished from sight, no one actually even moved.

"And what about you Bastila Shan?" Xander asked, crossing his arms.

She regarded him warily, but just stared at him for a few moments, as though coming to a decision.

"I have no quarrel with you, or your friends" she stated "I never did, so I shall wish you good luck on your quest. And take my leave".

Xander tensed slightly, Faith noticed it instantly "Or, you could come with us. We could use the help".

Bastila looked back the way Mission went, then shook her head "No, I think you have all the help you need. If you've drawn out a Sith Lord that has been hidden for this long, then you are likely doing something right…and I have a, Mission of my own to see too".

Faith almost spoke up upon hearing Xander's offer, but upon hearing the woman's refusal felt her tension fade considerably. Besides, it was getting crowded in the Interceptor as it was.

"We'll be heading for Onderon, should you change your mind" Xander told her a moment later.

Bastila looked back to the two of them, with an odd look on her face. But shook her head slightly, as though disregarding an errant thought, and started to walk away.

Xander slapped the side of his head a moment later "Wait, Bastila!".

She stopped and looked back "Xander?".

"I…how is it the two of you know me?. I wanted to ask before, but we kind of got side tracked" he asked, and explained.

An odd smile appeared in her face "I never met you before in my life Xander Harris".

"But Mission, she knew things…and…" he tried to argue.

"Mission just happens to be a little insane, in case you didn't notice" she replied, and turned away as she kept walking.

"Let's go Faith" Xander sighed a moment later, and headed towards the path where Jon and Bao'Dur had headed.

Faith hesitated for only a moment, and watched Bastila continue walking away. Then hurried to catch up with her friend. "I'm with ya Xan, all the way".

The sooner they got off this planet, the happier she'd be as far as she was concerned.

**Dantooine- Ebon Hawk…**

Rupert Giles entered the common area, and knew without asking that everyone was getting ready to leave. They'd done what they came here to accomplish, and then some.

Willow was sitting on one of the curved couches, once again attempting to meditate. With her newest shadow sitting on the couch just across from her. Mirroring her Zen like position.

Shayla was off in the corner, talking softly with the Hunter Killer droid, and found it surprising that the machines annoying voice was capable of talking so quietly, then remembered that it was an assassin droid. Silence was generally a necessity in the line of work it was programmed for.

There was no sign of Kreia, but then the woman hardly left her quarters. And when she did, she hardly socialized with anyone, except for the rare moments where she felt her _Wisdom_ was needed. Or to insult someone.

Leaving only three of their group unaccounted for, or two as he noted Shannon move into the room, carrying a duffle bag over her shoulder. A look of uncertainty marring her youthful face.

Shayla noticed her a moment later, and broke away from HK-47 "Shannon?".

"Shayla" she nodded in return, and glanced his way, looking even more worried.

Willow must have picked up on something as she spun in her spot, and then climbed from the couch "What's with the bag?".

Giles already had an idea of what she was planning, and offered her a supportive smile and nod.

Shannon inhaled deeply and looked at both the JedI and the Witch "Graham is still in recovery, and won't be up and about for a few weeks. Riley isn't all that much better. It's not right to just leave them behind to fend for themselves, so I figured I'd stick around, watch their backs".

Shayla clearly understood, the light nod she gave made that clear "It's a noble decision Shannon".

"But…we could use your help!" Willow tried to argue.

"Naw, you won't need my help Willow" Shannon smirked "But Riley and Graham need someone to look out for them, and with the losses the Militia suffered, they'll be needing all the help they can get. I thought I'd sign up for the time we're here, it'll keep me from getting completely bored".

Giles pushed away from the wall he was leaning on, and crossed the room in only a few strides, stopping right before the young woman. And stared down at her for a few seconds.

She looked up at him, with tormented eyes, and he knew this wasn't an easy decision for her. To stay and help Riley and Graham, she was abandoning them. But by coming with them, she'd be abandoning Riley and Graham.

"I'm proud of you Shannon Grace Townsend" he smiled, and pulled her into a hug. Her arms wrapped around him a moment later, after dropping the bag slung over her shoulder.

A heartbeat later Willow joined in "I'm not missing any hugs!" she exclaimed, eliciting a muffled laugh from the young Slayer.

Giles chuckled as they embraced, and felt Shannon try and pull away a few moments later "Thanks guys".

Willow stepped back, giving them both room, and then Giles let go and stepped back. Shannon then leaned down and grabbed her bag.

"If you guys need help though, you know how to reach me" she said quietly "And when this is all over, I expect you guys to be coming back. In one piece you hear?".

"Perfectly" Giles nodded, still smiling "The same goes for you young lady, should you need help, you have the transponder code for the Ebon Hawk".

She nodded, and glanced to Shayla "It's been good".

"Yes, it has. Good luck Shannon, and may the Force be with you" the blonde JedI smiled warmly.

Shannon gave her a quick nod, then headed for the corridor, and the ramp that would lead her to the landing deck of the space port.

"It's just the five of us now" Willow spoke softly, her arms wrapped around herself protectively.

"_Annoyed Interjection: What am I, Spare parts?"_ HK cut in.

Willow spun, and smiled sheepishly at the Droid "Sorry HK, I…kind of meant living people".

"Well, regardless. We should head for Onderon, as quickly as possible. We still have much to do" Shayla spoke, cutting off HK from saying anything else "We're fully stocked and fuelled, all were doing now is wasting time".

"Quite right" Giles nodded "If you don't mind, I'll join you in the cock-pit. As loathe as I am to admit it, I find myself curious as to how to pilot this beast".

Shayla smiled upon hearing that "I would welcome the company".

She then turned and headed for the cock-pit, even as Visas-Marr stood up "I will check the cargo bay, and ensure that all the supplies are properly secured".

She bowed lightly to the two of them, and headed for the nearest corridor, leaving just the two remaining Scoobies, and one homicidal droid.

Willow shuffled on her feet a few times, as though warring with herself over what to say. But looked up a moment later, looking worried about something.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was that was bothering her. He was just as worried.

"I'm sure Xander is already heading for Onderon, and Dawn and the others will join us once they've finished up on Nar Shadaa. I have absolute Faith in them" he spoke, and knew he hit the nail on the head upon seeing some of the tension leaving her face.

"I hope your right Giles, I really do" she sighed "But this isn't a threat we've ever had to face before. I mean saving one world…that's old hat for us. But saving a Galaxy".

He stepped closer, and took her shoulders gently "Willow, we have always triumphed in the face of adversity. And though this may seem far more than we can handle, I have no doubt that we will face the enemy, and beat them back".

"I…" she began to say, then stopped herself and took a deep breath "Your right, we have faced a lot in the past. And even with the stakes as big as they are, we'll succeed. We have too".

"Quite right" he nodded, and pulled the young woman in for another hug. Seeing just how much she could use the comfort.

Willow wrapped her arms around him instantly, and neither of them let go for quite awhile. And Giles realized that as much as he needed to reassure the young woman in his arms. He kind of enjoyed the hugs.

**Korriban…**

Xander slipped up the ramp of the Interceptor, ready to start barking orders, only to stop as Jon stepped in his way.

"I'm assuming your two new friends ain't joining us?" he asked.

"No…their not" Xander replied, blinking at the steel look on the young man's face. Reminding him once again that there was more to Jonathan O'Neill than he was telling.

"Just checking" Jon nodded, and headed for the cock-pit. Revealing two other people in the common room. Bao'Dur and JedI Master Lonna Vash. The later reclining back in one of the single chairs. And a patented Cordelia Chase smirk plastered upon her face.

He smiled at her as he moved further into the room, mostly to let Faith slip passed. But stopped just inside the access hatch. He didn't need the Force to know that this really was Cordy. The twinkle of amusement in her eyes told him all he needed to know.

"Glad to see your still alive. Dork" she said.

"Looking fashionable, as always Cordy" he replied.

"So, big bad JedI now?" she asked.

He chuckled and crossed his arms "Sorry, I'm still trying to wrap my head around you being a JedI Master".

She nodded and leaned her head back, closing her eyes "The more I remember of who I was, the more I question that very thing".

Faith just slapped his arm as she finally headed for the bunkrooms. No words were said, but he caught her meaning.

_Play nice._

"So, im assuming it's time for us to meet the others?" Bao'Dur asked.

"Onderon, yes?" Cordy asked, an unfamiliar accent tinting her voice slightly.

"That's the plan" Xander nodded, even as he closed up the hatch behind him.

"Then you can drop me off on Dantooine, I'm in no shape to go running around the galaxy. And Master Lamar will need assistance preparing for the Conclave, assuming you can locate Master Ell, and Master Kavar" she said.

Xander cleared his throat "Jon!" he hollered, just as the young man came walking back into the room.

"Don't need to yell Xander, the ships not that big" he replied, sticking a finger in his ear, and wiggling it around to make a point.

"Sorry, but did the sensors pick up any ships leaving?" Xander apologized and asked.

"Yeah, I kinda figured you'd want to know. Got two ships leaving the planet, and before you ask I also got their hyperspace trajectory" Jon replied, looking rather pleased with himself.

"They're heading in the same direction, aren't they?" Faith asked as she took one of the other chairs.

"Yep, the second ship slipped behind the nearest moon. Then slipped into hyperspace a minute after the first ship" Jon nodded, and then sighed "Oh, for crying out loud. Your not serious are you?".

Xander nodded "Yeah, I kinda am".

"Uhm, I'm not quite following" Bao'Dur lifted a hand into the air. His artificial arm to be precise.

Faith chuckled, having already figured out what Xander was planning "B-D. It looks like you'll be heading for Onderon all on your lonesome. But you'll have Cordy here for company, so it won't be a boring trip".

Cordy raised a single brow "Xander, an explanation would be nice".

"We ran into Bastila Shan, and a somewhat misguided young woman named Mission Vao" he explained "Bastila's apparently been out of the loop for a while, she had no clue as to what's been going down. And Mission…well that's a long and complicated tale".

"Some other Sith Lord broke her, then sent her after Xander here. It seems that us being here has messed up his ability to see the future…or something like that" Faith answered succinctly.

"Okay, not so long" Xander added wryly "Still, Mission didn't go through with her mission. And apparently she doesn't like being lied too. So I'm thinking she's heading back to her master for a little violent Q&A session".

"And you plan on following her?" Cordy asked "Are you insane?".

"Probably, but if there's another player trying to manipulate things. We need to know who and why" Xander replied "There's plenty of ships still on the planet, I'm assuming Bao'Dur can have one up and ready to go in no time, he can drop you off on Dantooine, then head to Onderon and let the others know what's up".

"Your assuming we're crazy enough to go with you Xander" Jon interjected. Drawing more than one look of surprise.

"What?. I'm not saying that I'm not crazy, it's just kind of annoying that he's assuming is all" the young man shrugged "Besides, who's going to fly this thing?".

"Thanks O'Neill" Xander chuckled "And sorry…for the assumption".

"No worries man" he smirked.

"I still think your insane" Cordy added a moment later "But, you have a point…if your presence has interfered in this Sith Lords ability to sense the future, and dispatched Mission to deal with you. Then it's safe to assume that he, or she is trying to operate in complete secrecy. And that never bodes well".

"So, it'll be just the three of us, going after a big-bag Sith Lord?" Faith asked, looking just a little nervous.

"Unless you wanna go with Bao-Dur and Cordy" Xander said "I won't think any less of you if that's what you want, this probably won't be easy, in fact I'd bet my eye-patch that it'll probably be the most dangerous thing we've ever done".

"Screw that Boy-toy, we're you go, I go" she snorted "I just wanted a little clarification is all".

"Thanks Faith" he nodded, then looked to the Zabrak "Bao'Dur?".

The Zabrak inhaled slowly and sat forward "It shouldn't take me longer than an hour to prep one of the Sith ships left behind. There's plenty to choose from".

"Alright" he nodded "We'll stick around until your ready to go, and if no one has anything else to talk about, I'm going to go have a shower, and find something clean…and not so holy to change into".

**Y'Toub System- Orbit of Nar Shadaa…**

Buffy stepped out of her quarters, double checked her gear as she moved down the rusted halls of the old freighter, and stopped abruptly at the sight of everyone standing in the small common area.

"About time you finished up in there" Dawn called out, leaning over a holographic display table, showing a hazy blue hologram of a planet.

"What, I wanted an extra long shower" she shrugged and moved to join them "If Telos and Dantooine were any clue, I figured I wouldn't be getting another one for a bit".

Atton and Mical exchanged amused smirks, then quickly looked away from each other. Clearly unhappy about sharing their amusement of the moment.

"Well, anyway, we're here. Nar Shadaa. Also known as the Smuggler's moon" Atton piped up "It's the gaping maw of Nal Hutta, swallowing all the cargo and space port thugs the galaxy has to offer. Mandalorians, Mercenaries, war veterans, and pilots from the Mandalorian Wars, and the JedI Civil War ended up on Nar Shadaa, from all sides of the conflict. When the last war ended, there was no place left for them to go".

"The wars displaced many people, soldiers had no war to focus on, and refugee's had few options on where to go" Mical added "Nar Shadaa was one of the few ports available to everyone, for a variety of reasons".

"Nar Shadaa's a rough place, and easy to get lost in…Or, to get lost. If we wanted to keep out of sight from the sith for a while, we couldn't have picked a better spot" Atton continued, looking around at the three of them.

"How difficult will it be to find our wayward JedI Master?" Buffy asked.

"It won't be easy, there's so much traffic coming and going down below, finding anyone on the moon's surface is going to be hard. We'll be touching down in the Refugee sector. There's a lot more traffic there, and it's harder for people to spot you coming in…or find you once you arrive. Once we're down we should finally be able to breathe easy. There's no way anyone's going to find us here" Atton declared.

"And not a scrap of wood in sight" Dawn sighed.

"I hear you lil-sis, I hear you" Buffy smirked.

**Deep in the Unknown Regions…**

A dark robed figure, cloaked in thick shadows, stared almost impassively at the five hundred children that marched across the large hall. In ragged and stumbling formation. Each and everyone of them terrified at waking to find themselves in such a dark place. With no memory of who they once were, of friends or of family.

To his yellowed eyes, it was a procession of tiny assassins. Every one of them were masked, to obscure their faces from one another.

The entire procession slowly vanished through the doors that lead into another section of the city. And finally the doors closed behind them, thumping loudly as the locks engaged. And a light hiss of the advanced hydraulics locking down.

With a wave of his hand, the controls on a nearby computer activated, and a bluish field of energy sprung up before the door. Blocking any access to the door itself.

He sat back, and mentally counted to one hundred. And with a near bored wave of his gloved hand, dropped the force field, and opened the door.

Five hundred children had passed through those doors, yet only five emerged. But they weren't children any longer.

The five who approached were much older, physically fifteen now thanks to the advanced technology he'd unlocked in this secret haven. Ancient and forgotten technology.

The passage of time within the room was even more evident on the five who marched fearlessly towards him, and dropped to the floor in perfect formation.

"My life is yours!" all five spoke in unison.

He leaned forward, and smiled at his five newest children. Though none of them could see it, even if they were looking up at him.

"You have proven your worth to me, for simply surviving" his whispery voice echoed to fill the hall "My children, know that I am proud of you".

He stood swiftly, and moved down the steps of the platform that held his throne, and stopped before them.

"Your siblings, those who once knelt in this exact same place have failed me. They have betrayed me, they have betrayed you. And they must be punished" he spoke softly, pausing for a moment to let his words sink in "You will seek them out, and you will end them. Through you they will learn the price of betrayal, and then you will complete the mission that they failed to complete".

"As you command" all five spoke, again in unison.

"A ship has been prepared for each of you, and details of your mission is waiting within. Consider this your final test. Succeed, and return to me knowing that you serve the greater glory of the one True Sith Empire. Fail…and pray for a swift death" he commanded, and watched as all five stood, bowed deeply and in perfect parade formation, marched for the other end of the hallway.

The Sith Lord smiled as his five newest weapons vanished from sight "Soon all will be as it once was, as it should be".

* * *

**And the last chapter of this Volume is complete. The story continues and I'm once again feeling the flow of idea's, something that's been plaguing me for a while now. **

**For those of you who've dropped idea's in the past, fear not I haven't forgotten or discarded them. And I do hope to incorporate several throughout the rest of the story. I won't ruin exactly what, as that could end up leading to some really bad spoilers.**

**Chapter One of the next Volume is almost complete, and should be up and ready for posting a few days, no later than the middle of the month.**

**To everyone who's still reading this, after so long you have my sincerest thanks. And I hope to keep writing until it's finished, without any more long torturous vacations.**

**R-D-S.**


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